Prout in a Nutshell Volume 2 Second Edition E-Book

PROUT IN A NUTSHELL

VOLUME TWO

SHRII PRABHAT RANJAN SARKAR

The pratiika (Ananda Marga emblem) represents in a visual way the essence of Ananda Marga ideology. The six-pointed star is composed of two equilateral triangles. The triangle pointing upward represents action, or the outward flow of energy through selfless service to humanity. The triangle pointing downward represents knowledge, the inward search for spiritual realization through meditation. The sun in the centre represents advancement, all-round progress. The goal of the aspirant’s march through life is represented by the swastika, a several-thousand-year-old symbol of spiritual victory.

PROUT IN A NUTSHELL

VOLUME TWO

Second Edition

SHRII PRABHAT RANJAN SARKAR

Prout in a Nutshell was originally published simultaneously in twenty-one parts and seven volumes, with each volume containing three parts, © 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central). The same material, reorganized and revised, with the omission of some chapters and the addition of some new discourses, is now being published in four volumes as the second edition. This book is Prout in a Nutshell Volume Two, Second Edition, © 2020 by Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central).

Registered office: Ananda Nagar, P.O. Baglata, District Purulia, West Bengal, India

All rights reserved by the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First edition edited by: Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta and Párthasárathi

Second edition edited by: Ácárya Vijayánanda Avadhúta, Párthasárathi, Ácárya Acyutánanda Avadhúta and Ácárya Vimalánanda Avadhúta

ISBN Electronic Edition: 978-81-941215-1-0 (Volume Two) ISBN Electronic Edition: 978-81-941215-4-1 (Set of four volumes)

Published by: Ácárya Hariishánanda Avadhúta Publications Secretary (Central) Ananda Marga Publications Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saîgha (Central)

CONTENTS

Roman Saîskrta ix Publisher’s Note xiii

1. The Future of Democracy 23 2. The Observer’s Diary 30 3. The Principles of Prout 61 4. Your Mission 72 5. The Interplay of Culture and Civilization 75 6. Human Progress 79 7. The Kïatriya Age 83 8. The Vipra Age 115 9. The Vaeshya Age 182 10. Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society 203 11. Dialectical Materialism and Democracy 213 12. Civilization, Science and Spiritual Progress 224 13. The Future of Civilization 228 14. Práòa Dharma 236 15. Our Social Treatise 244 16. Relative Knowledge and Absolute Knowledge 253 17. The Human Search for Real Progress 261 18. Theory and Practice 270 19. Nuclear Revolution 276 20. Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 1 290 21. Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 2 301 22. Agrarian Revolution 325 23. Social Value and Human Cardinal Principles 343 24. Deprivation of Práòa Dharma 361 25. Basic Differences in Attitude between the East and the West 366 26. Universality in Race, Language, Religion and Culture 369 27. The Importance of Caryácarya in Individual and Social Life 372

28. The Three Causes of Sin 374 29. Sadvipra Boards 384 30. Learned and Educated 388 31. How to Unite Human Society 392 32. Samája Gurus and Sadvipras 409 33. Expression and Symbolization 413 34. Mental Colours 426

Appendices

1. A Cyclic Representation of the Social Cycle 429 2. A Systaltic Representation of the Social Cycle 430

Glossary 431

ROMAN SAÎSKRTA

Realizing the necessity of writing swiftly and of pronouncing the words of different languages correctly, the undernoted Roman Saîskrta (Sanskrit) alphabet has been adopted. Those not familiar with either the Devanágrii alphabet or the Bengali alphabet below, please see the pronunciation key on page x. x

a á b c ì d e g h i j k l m î n ò ô o p r s ï t í u ú v y

It is possible to pronounce the Saîskrta, or Sanskrit, language with the help of only twenty-nine letters of Roman script. The letters “f”, “q”, “qh”, “z”, etc., are required in the Arabic, Persian, and various other languages, but not in Saîskrta. “ìa” and “ìha”, occurring in the middle of a word or at the end of a word, are pronounced “óa” and “óha”, respectively. Like “ya”, they are not independent letters. When the need arises in writing non-Saîskrta words, “óa” and “óha” may be written. Letters newly added to the Bengali alphabet in order to render certain words of foreign languages:

qua qhua za óa óha fa ya lra t aô

SANSKRIT PRONUNCIATION KEY

This key is a guide to the pronunciation of the Sanskrit words in this book. In the cases of those words of other languages (such as Bengali and Hindi) romanized in this book, the pronunciations will be similar but not exactly the same. a = “a” in “mica” á = “a” in “father” i = “i” in “folio” ii = somewhat prolonged i u = “u” in “lute” ú = somewhat prolonged u r (alone or followed by consonant) = ri in Spanish carido rr = rri in Spanish corrida lr = l +ri xi lrr = l + rri e = “e” in “cachet” ae = “ai” in “kaiser” o = “o” in “open” ao = “au” in “sauerkraut” î = a nasalization of the preceding vowel, sometimes similar to “ng” in “sung” h (following vowel, but not followed by a vowel) = aspirated version of the vowel, or ha sound appended to the vowel. E.g., vah = either va with aspiration (expelling breath), or vaha sound. kh, gh, ch, jh, íh, ìh, th, dh, ph = aspirated versions of consonants (expelling breath) uôa = nasalized “wa” (“a” in “mica”). Combining form uô before k, kh, g, gh = “n” pronounced naturally for that location. iôa = nasalized “ya” (“a” in “mica”). Combining form iô before c, ch, j, jh = “n” pronounced naturally for that location. í = cerebral “t” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) ì = cerebral “d” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) ò = cerebral “n” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate) t = dental “t” (tip of tongue touches upper teeth) d = dental “d” (tip of tongue touches upper teeth) y at beginning of word =“j” in “jump”. In middle of word = “y” in “you”. v at beginning of word =“v” in “victory”. In middle of word = “w” in “awaken”. sh = palatal “s” (tip of tongue touches back of palate), “sh” in “shall” or “ss” in “issue” ï = cerebral “s” (tip of tongue touches centre of palate), “sh” in “shun” or “bush” kï = either aspirated version of “k” (expelling breath), or “k” + “sh” ô (preceded by vowel other than i or u) = nasalization of vowel jiôa = “gya” (“a” in “mica”) jiôá = “gya” (“a” in “father”)

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Prout, an acronym for Progressive Utilisation Theory, is a comprehensive socio-economic philosophy developed by the author from the beginning of 1955 until his death in October 1990. The author defined Progressive Utilization Theory as the “progressive utilization of all factors” and those who support this principle as “Proutists”. Prout, however, is more than just a theory or philosophy. It is also a social movement based on spiritual culture, a model of a socio-economic system, a vision of the good society and a practice. And, as the author himself once indicated, Prout is also a universal resource, capable of finding a just and rational solution whenever it is properly applied to a socio-economic problem. In essence, Prout aims to establish a new social system. In the discourse “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”, which is contained in this volume, the author explains that the social system that will come into being will maintain adjustment and harmony with time, space and person. It will move step by step towards establishment in spirituality, without regard to any ism. For a discussion on the reasons why the author propounded Prout, the history of the term “Prout”, the origins of the Prout in a Nutshell series, and how best to study Prout, see the Publisher’s Note in Volume One. This book is Prout in a Nutshell Volume Two, Second Edition. The second edition of the series contains four volumes and twenty parts, with each volume containing five parts. This volume contains Part 6 to Part 10. It spans the period from the beginning of 1961 to the end of 1971, and contains thirty-four chapters. It also contains two new chapters that were not included in the first edition of the series: “Samája Gurus and Sadvipras” and “Mental Colours”. Details about the source of each of the discourses in this volume are set out at the end of the Publisher’s Note. xiv

Part 6 to Part 10, based on the Contents, are divided as follows: Part 6: “The Future of Democracy” (chapter 1) to “The Kïatriya Age” (chapter 7); Part 7: “The Vipra Age” (chapter 8) to “The Vaeshya Age” (chapter 9); Part 8: “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society” (chapter 10) to “Theory and Practice” (chapter 18); Part 9: “Nuclear Revolution” (chapter 19) to “Social Value and Human Cardinal Principles” (chapter 23); and Part 10: “Deprivation of Práòa Dharma” (chapter 24) to “Mental Colours” (chapter 34). To assist researchers, the original language of each discourse is mentioned below, together with the date and place it was given, and where, if other than in this book, it was originally published. The abbreviation “DMC” at the end of a discourse signifies Dharmamahá Cakra. It was a special gathering addressed by the author as the preceptor, or guru, of Ananda Marga. The abbreviation “RU” at the end of a discourse indicates that the discourse constituted a Presidential speech to Renaissance Universal. Square brackets […] in the text indicate translations by the editors or other editorial insertions. Round brackets (…) indicate a word or words originally given by the author. If brackets surround one or more words that are italicised, the brackets themselves are also italicised. Footnotes not signed “– Eds.” were given by the author. The author used a certain shorthand for explaining the etymologies of words. Under this system, a minus sign (-) follows a prefix, and a plus sign (+) precedes a suffix. Thus ava – tr + ghaiô = avatára can be read, “The root tr prefixed by ava and suffixed by ghaiô becomes avatára.” xv

Generally non-English words in the text, such as Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi words as well as words from some other languages, are italicised. Several words of Sanskrit origin, however, are considered to have passed into the English language; such words are treated as English words and are not italicised. These words include dharma, guru, mantra and sadhana. Finally, throughout this series, and indeed in all the author’s works, the terms shúdras, kïatriyas, vipras and vaeshyas (lower case and italic) and the terms Shúdra Age, Kïatriya Age, Vipra Age and Vaeshya Age (capitalized, non-italic and each with “Age”) refer to social classes, collective psychologies, and are applicable to all societies. They have nothing to do with the caste system in India. The terms Shúdras, Kïatriyas, Vipras (or Brahmans) and Vaeshyas (capitalized, non-italic and without “Age”) refer to the castes in Indian society.

“The Future of Democracy”. Given 17 June 1961, Bettiah. RU discourse. Discourse in Hindi. Published in the Hindi magazine Yug Ki Pukar, May 1963. Published in English as “Compartmentalized Democracy” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 14, July 1988, and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is translated from Yug Ki Pukar.

“The Observer’s Diary”. Given from 27 June to 3 July 1961, Jamalpur. Discourses in English. Originally published serially in the English RU magazine Our Universe, as “Observer” in the August- September, October-November and December 1961 issues, and as “Observer Diary” in the January-February 1962 issue. Published as “Talks on Prout” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 15 and Volume 5, November 1988. The chapter in this edition is from Our Universe.

“The Principles of Prout”. Given 28 June 1961, Jamalpur. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published as Chapter 5 of Ánanda Sútram, xvi

Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, in Bengali, 1962, and in English, 1967. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 4, October 1987, and Volume 2, November 1987. Also published in Proutist Economics, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Sútram, Second Edition, 1996, except the translation of Principle 8, which was changed to closely follow the author’s English translation of the principle given in “The Three Species of Human Being”, 18 August 1979, in Taipei, published in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 14, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti.

“Your Mission”. Originally published in the English RU magazine Our Universe, December 1961 issue. Discourse in English. A note in the magazine under the title of the discourse says: “Adapted from the talk delivered to the worker at Barrackpore.” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, and Volume 6, 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Our Universe.

“The Interplay of Culture and Civilization”. Given 28 May 1962, Monghyr. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Originally published in the English RU magazine Our Universe, May-June issue, 1962. A note in the magazine under the title of the discourse says: “Adapted from the speech delivered by Shrii P. R. Sarkar, Chairman, Renaissance Universal (RU), at Monghyr (Bihar) on 28-5-62.” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Our Universe.

“Human Progress”. Given May 1963. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Published in the English RU magazine Cosmic Society, Volume 1, Number 1, 1965. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6, and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Cosmic Society.

“The Kïatriya Age”. Originally published in Bengali as chapter one of Mánuïer Samája 2, First Edition, 1963. Discourse in Bengali. Author’s dedication in the book says: “Dedicated to the sacred memory of my beloved father, the late Lakshmi Narayan Sarkar.” xvii

Published in English in Human Society Part 2, First Edition, 1967. Translated by Shrii Manohar Gupta. Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998, retranslated by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. The first seven or so pages also published as “Human Society – Laws of Social Dynamics” in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 4, October 1987, and the remainder of the chapter published as “The Kïatriya Age” in Part 5, November 1987, and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998.

“The Vipra Age”. Originally published in Bengali as chapter two of Mánuïer Samája 2, First Edition, 1963. Discourse in Bengali. Author’s dedication in the book says: “Dedicated to the sacred memory of my beloved father, the late Lakshmi Narayan Sarkar.” Published in English in Human Society Part 2, First Edition, 1967. Translated by Shrii Manohar Gupta. Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998, retranslated by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 5 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998.

“The Vaeshya Age”. Originally published in Bengali as chapter three of Mánuïer Samája 2, First Edition, 1963. Discourse in Bengali. Author’s dedication in the book says: “Dedicated to the sacred memory of my beloved father, the late Lakshmi Narayan Sarkar.” Published in English in Human Society Part 2, First Edition, 1967. Translated by Shrii Manohar Gupta. Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998, retranslated by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 5 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998.

“Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. Originally published in Bengali as chapter four of Mánuïer Samája 2, First Edition, 1963. Discourse in Bengali. Author’s dedication in the book says: “Dedicated to the sacred memory of my beloved father, the late Lakshmi Narayan Sarkar.” Published in English in Human Society xviii

Part 2, First Edition, 1967. Translated by Shrii Manohar Gupta. Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998, retranslated by Ác. Vijayánanda Avt. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Human Society Part 2, Fourth English Edition, 1998.

“Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”. Given February 1964. Discourse in Hindi. Originally published in Bengali in Abhimata, 1966. First published in English in Abhimata, 1973. Also published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from A Few Problems Solved Part 2.

“Civilization, Science and Spiritual Progress”. Given 22 May 1965, Patna. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Published in the English RU magazine Cosmic Society, Volume 2, Number 3, August 1965. A note in the magazine under the title of the discourse says: “Summary of lecture delivered by Shrii P. R. Sarkar, Chairman Renaissance Universal, in the annual meeting of R.U. held at Patna on 22nd May 1965.” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from the Cosmic Society.

“The Future of Civilization”. Given 15 May 1966, Patna. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Published in the English magazine Bodhi Kalpa, Ánanda Púròimá issue, 1967. A note in the magazine at the end of the discourse says: “Ánanda Púròimá D.M.C. Patna 1966”. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Bodhi Kalpa.

“Práòa Dharma”. Given 16 February 1967, Ranchi. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Tattva Kaomudii Part 2. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6 and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Tattva Kaomudii Part 2.

xix

“Our Social Treatise”. Given 24 February 1967, Ranchi. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Tattva Kaomudii Part 2. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 16, January 1990, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Tattva Kaomudii Part 2.

“Relative Knowledge and Absolute Knowledge”. Given 25 February 1967, Ranchi. Discourse in Bengali. Originally published in Tattva Kaomudii Part 2. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, 1991, and Volume 2, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Tattva Kaomudii Part 2.

“The Human Search for Real Progress”. Given 27 May 1967, Allahabad. RU discourse. Discourse in Hindi. Tape in Hindi of first two thirds of the discourse. Tape checked against the version in the first Hindi edition of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, which corresponds to the tape. Also published as “Pragati and Paincavedana” in the English magazines Bodhi Kalpa, Ánanda Púròimá issue, 1967, and Cosmic Society, Volume 3, Number 7, July 1967. A note in Cosmic Society on the first page of the discourse says: “Translated into English from the Presidential speech at the annual meeting of R.U. at Allahabad, May 27, 1967.” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, 1991, and Volume 2, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Bodhi Kalpa.

“Theory and Practice”. Given May 1969, Ranchi. RU discourse. Discourse in Hindi. Published as “Saidhantika Tattva and Prayogabhaomika Tattva” in the English magazine Bodhi Kalpa, January 1970. A note in the magazine at the end of the discourse says: “Renaissance Universal Presidential Address, May 1969, Ranchi DMC. (Translated from the tape-recorded speech delivered in Hindi.)” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6, and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Nuclear Revolution”. Given 1969, Ranchi. Discourse in Bengali. Notes taken by Shrii Riten Ghosh. Originally published in the first xx

Bengali edition of Prout in a Nutshell Part 21. Also published in the first English editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 21 and Volume 7, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 1”. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Abhimata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 2”. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Abhimata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Agrarian Revolution”. The date of this discourse is unknown, but based on references in the text it was most likely given sometime in the period from March 1969 to the end of 1971. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Abhimata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. Also published in Proutist Economics, 1992. The chapter in this edition is from Proutist Economics, 1992.

“Social Value and Human Cardinal Principles”. Given March 1970. Discourse in Bengali. Published in Abhimata. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 7, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Deprivation of Práòa Dharma”. Given March 1970. Discourse in English. Published as “The Subtlest Way of Enmity Is the Deprivation of Práòa Dharma” in Notes on Social Philosophy. Published by the same title in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, 1991, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Notes on Social Philosophy.

“Basic Differences in Attitude between the East and the West”. Given March 1970. Discourse in English. Published in Notes on xxi

Social Philosophy. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, 1991, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Notes on Social Philosophy.

“Universality in Race, Language, Religion and Culture”. Given June 1970. Discourse in English. Published in a Seminar Guide Book. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 6, and Volume 2, November 1987. The chapter in this edition is from the Seminar Guide Book.

“The Importance of Caryácarya in Individual and Social Life”. Given March 1970. Discourse in English. Published in Notes on Spiritual Philosophy. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Notes on Spiritual Philosophy.

“The Three Causes of Sin”. Given 30 May 1970, Muzaffarpur. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Published in English as “Papasya Karanam Trayam” in the magazine Bodhi Kalpa, Number 4, November 1970. A note in the magazine at the end of the discourse says: “30th May 1970, R.U. Presidential address, Muzaffarpur.” Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 8, November 1987, and Volume 3, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Bodhi Kalpa.

“Sadvipra Boards”. Given June 1970, Ranchi. Notes taken by Ác. Raghunath Prasad. Discourse in English. The second half originally published in Notes on Social Philosophy, edited by Ác. Raghunath Prasad. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell.

“Learned and Educated”. Given 15 June 1970, Ranchi. Discourse in English. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 18, and Volume 6, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Prout in a Nutshell. xxii

“How to Unite Human Society”. Published in the Hindi magazine Ánanda Lok, also translated and published in the English RU magazine Cosmic Society, Volume 8, Number 6, August 1970. Discourse in Hindi. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 21, and Volume 7, October 1991. The chapter in this edition is from Cosmic Society.

“Samája Gurus and Sadvipras”. Given 30 January 1971, morning, Kolkata. Discourse in Bengali. Extract from “Tadátmánaî Srjámyaham”, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 25, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. Also published in Discourses on Krïòa and the Giitá. The chapter in this edition is from Discourses on Krïòa and the Giitá.

“Expression and Symbolization”. Given 22 May 1971, Ranchi. RU discourse. Discourse in English. Published in Education and Culture, Volume 6, Number 2, July 1971. A note in the magazine on the first page of the discourse says: “Shrii P. R. Sarkar’s Presidential address at the meeting of Renaissance Universal held on 22nd May 1971 at Ranchi.” A more complete version published in Bodhi Kalpa, Number 1, February 1972. Published in the first editions of Prout in a Nutshell Part 11, and Volume 4, December 1987. The chapter in this edition is from Bodhi Kalpa.

“Mental Colours”. Given 17 December 1971, morning, Patna. Discourse in English. Extract from “Twice Born”, Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. The chapter in this edition is from Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30.

THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY

When the first human babies were born 1,000,000 years ago, they did not find the earth a safe place on which to live. At that time nature was extremely cruel, so they used all their power to protect themselves, to fight continually against the harshness of nature. That age may be called the Shúdra Age. In that age of struggle or in that society, only brute force or physical strength had any value. In that primitive age of the earth, people experienced the truth of the maxim “Might is right.” At that time they found that all the various forces were inimical to them, and thus they did not consider it expedient to fight against them individually. That is why they came together with one another and formed groups, in order to fight collectively. In that age of physical strength, the strongest person became the leader of a group and a hero worshipped by society. Thus a society dominated by kïatriyas came into existence for the first time on the earth, and later led to the emergence of the monarchy. The social order that existed in the Shúdra Age cannot be described as well-knit. Social order was consolidated to a great extent during the period of the monarchy. The Kïatriya Age was followed by the Vipra Age. During the period of the monarchy, intellectuals started to gain increasing political prominence by dint of their talent, and by confusing the public they established their own ecclesiastical system under the protection of the monarchy. In this way the rotation of society passed into the hands of priests. Nobody opposed the monarchy as long as it was above reproach, but when the priests started to befool others for their own purposes, people came to the end of their patience and a revolt occurred. As a result of this revolt, democracy emerged. 24 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Major Defects in Democracy

According to contemporary opinion, a democratic government is one that belongs to the people, is constituted by the people and works for the well-being of the people.1 In practice, however, a democratic government is a government of a particular party, constituted by the party and working for the benefit of the party: “Government of the party, by the party and for the party.” In the so-called democratic system, elections are extremely important. In the name of forming a democratic government, different political and communal parties that believe in various ideologies jump into the election fray. Each party issues its own election manifesto to influence the public in order to secure their votes. In addition, different parties entice voters through election propaganda. Where educated people are in the majority and political consciousness is sufficiently developed, it is not very difficult for people to weigh the pros and cons of a particular party’s manifesto and to ascertain which manifesto is in the best interests of the country. But where education or political consciousness or both are lacking, or where people fail to understand the manifesto and are influenced by misleading propaganda, they may cast their votes in favour of those parties whose ideals go against the interests of the majority of people in their country. Consequently a party that does more harm than good to the public is sometimes installed in power. In the present democratic system, the granting of voting rights depends on age. Suppose people are given the right to

1 Theodore Parker, in a speech at an anti-slavery convention in Boston on 29 May 1850 (Discourses of Slavery, 1863), defined democracy as “...a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people.” Over a decade later, on 19 November 1863, Abraham Lincoln echoed this sentiment in a speech in Gettysbury (Speeches and Letters, 1907), when he said “...government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” –Eds.

THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY 25 vote at the age of twenty-one. This means that all those who are twenty-one and above have the right to vote. But age alone cannot be the basis for voting eligibility. Those with a good education under the age of twenty-one may have a proper understanding of the problems in their country, while many people above the age of twenty-one may be ignorant of such problems because they lack education and political consciousness. So granting voting rights on the basis of age does not seem to be rational. This right should be granted on the basis of education and political consciousness alone. Conferring voting rights on the basis of age results in numerous votes being cast without proper understanding, while many educated and politically-conscious people are not allowed to vote because of their age.2 This is the greatest weakness of the democratic system. The second greatest defect is that in the democratic system people have to listen to long, meaningless lectures that mislead the public. Leaders have to go to all and sundry and solicit votes from them. They even have to placate thieves, armed robbers and hypocrites because such people can muster a large number of votes. As a result a government in the democratic system becomes a government influenced by thieves, armed robbers and hypocrites. The government cannot even take action against such people because if it does it will not continue in power for long. After an election the party that has secured more than 50% of the seats usually forms the government, but in this process there is the possibility that although more than 50% of the seats are secured they may correspond to less than 50% of the total votes cast. In such circumstances, although the government is considered to be the government of the majority, in reality it is

2 See also “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”. –Eds.

26 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 the government of a particular party that has only minority popular support. As a particular party forms the government, the opinions of other parties are seldom respected in the legislative process. Although all parties participate in discussing legislation during the legislative process, bills are actually passed according to the wishes of the party that has a majority of members in the legislature. When a particular party formulates bills, they are generally intended to benefit that party, and this may not necessarily enhance the welfare of the public. As a particular party forms the government, the government servants do not have the scope to carry out their duties independently. The members and leaders of the ruling party constantly interfere with the work of the government servants, compelling them to act according to their dictates. Under duress, they are often forced to do work which benefits the supporters of the party but harms the interests of the general public. In the democratic system government officials cannot even refuse to obey such leaders, because they work according to the directions of their department, which is controlled by a cabinet minister from that particular party. In such so-called democracies, even the judiciary cannot function independently because the ruling party often harasses judges and judicial officers. Judgements that strangle justice are also frequently given. The independence of the audit department is also indispensable for the proper utilization of public money, but due to pressure from the ruling party it fails to function independently. Because proper auditing is prevented, public money is grossly misused. Consequently the work of developing the country is not carried out properly and there is no advancement. A government in the true sense of the term is meant to govern and to serve, but in the democratic system it is THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY 27 impossible to govern. Who is there to be governed? Those who are to be governed are the ones from whom votes have to be secured, hence they must not be displeased through governance. And those who are supposed to govern are themselves incompetent, immoralists, exploiters and hypocrites, or else how could they secure the precious votes they need? That invariably requires money and deceitfulness. That is why there are no qualified leaders to govern. And as far as the question of service to the people is concerned, that is an absolutely meaningless proposition in a democracy. In this system the party and the leaders serve themselves in the most opportunistic way. Thus it is clear that the democratic system is full of defects. Without removing them, a country cannot be governed.

Reforming Democracy

Let us now discuss how democracy can be reformed. It is useless to think of establishing the democratic system of government in countries where people are illiterate, immoral and backward. The democratic process cannot succeed in such countries. At present only countries such as England, America and France are suited to democracy, but even these countries need to introduce some reforms. First of all, the members of legislative assemblies and parliaments should be elected according to the recommendations of the general public and not a particular party. At the time of electing their representatives, people should consider their education, moral standard, sacrifice for the society and nation, etc. If the representatives are elected keeping in view such qualities, they will safeguard the welfare of the people at large rather than the interests of a particular party. Their minds will think about each and every section of society rather than any particular group or class. They will be 28 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 able to enact laws keeping in view the problems of one and all, thereby working to build up their nation. As a result people will be satisfied with their impartial service. It follows that the right to elect representatives should be vested in those having education, political consciousness, and awareness of the main problems confronting their country. Age should not prevent people from voting. Granting voting rights to illiterate people only increases the possibility of antisocial and incompetent representatives being elected. Secondly, it is extremely important to free the secretariat from the undue interference of cabinet ministers so that all government servants can work fearlessly. The cabinet should confine itself to drafting legislation, preparing the budget in order to implement its plans, ensuring the defence of the nation, etc. Ministerial power should be confined to the parliament alone; ministers should not poke their noses into the functioning of the secretariat. The chief secretary should be independent from and not subservient to the president. It is important that the secretaries of different departments should work under the chief secretary. In this way every department will be free from the undue pressure of cabinet ministers and be able to render optimal service to the nation. Thirdly, at present even the judiciary is controlled by a particular cabinet minister. Due to continual pressure from the minister, judges and other judicial officials fail to deliver justice impartially. To eradicate such defects, the judiciary should also have the right to function independently and be run under the control of the chief justice. The chief justice should be treated with as much respect as the president. His or her appointment should take into account his or her standard of morality, honesty and other similar qualities. If these things are not done carefully, injustice is bound to replace justice; and injustice will invite anarchy. THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY 29

Finally, for the proper utilization of the nation’s revenue and to ensure that every paisa is spent on building up the nation, it is extremely important that the audit branch as well be independent. The auditor general should be independent of the president. Only the independence of the auditor general can ensure that this branch will be able to fearlessly check the accounts of every other branch. Thus it should be a separate administrative branch [of government], independent of the party holding a majority. All the four branches [of government] mentioned above should be given the scope to function independently. Thus there will be four compartments. No compartment will function under another. However, even in this situation the possibility of confrontation still exists. Hence there should be a benevolent dictatorship to supervise these four compartments. Even then a benevolent board is required to review the functioning of the benevolent dictator.3 Spirituality will have to be included in this type of dictatorship. The more spirituality will become firmly established, the more democracy will fade away.

17 June 1961, RU, Bettiah

3 In the original Hindi the English words “benevolent dictator” are used here, however elsewhere the author makes it clear he does not support individual dictatorship. In “Discourses on Prout”, section 5, in Volume 1, for example, he says: “As a principle, individual dictatorship cannot be accepted.” See also “Sadvipra Boards”, which includes a discussion on the relationship between the “benevolent board” (i.e., the Supreme Sadvipra Board) and the compartments or branches of government. –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY

Knowledge

Knowledge is of two kinds: 1) intellectual, and 2) intuitional. Intellectual knowledge is based on experience, and hence is embedded in relativity. It cannot therefore claim to be absolute. Intuitional knowledge is transcendental in character. It dissects and analyses everything. It is therefore absolute.1 The approach of Prout is a subjective approach through objective adjustment. This presupposes a connecting link between intuition and intellect. This connecting link or touching point is called bodhi jiôána [the “intuitional faculty”]. With the help of bodhi jiôána, intuitional knowledge can be utilized to solve mundane problems. Thus Prout is a [socio- economic philosophy based on] bodhi jiôána. On the practical plane, Prout will find the common factor amid divergent views and impose this common factor on groups or bodies holding conflicting interests by discouraging fissiparous tendencies.

Expansionism

A Proutist has the right to settle anywhere in the universe. It may, however, be questioned whether Chinese infiltration into the territory of Tibet can be supported on this ground. The reply is definitely no, because this is intentional infiltration – an expansionist move.2

1 See also “Relative Knowledge and Absolute Knowledge”. –Eds. 2 The Chinese army invaded Tibet in 1950. –Eds.

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Should one support Nepalese expansion into the eastern states of Sikkim and Bhutan? If we trace back the history, we find that Nepalese people left Nepal and expanded into other regions because of famine – there was no other motive. Hence we have nothing to say against it. Recently, however, a few persons have started a Maha Nepal [Greater Nepal] movement. The propagandists of Maha Nepal are neither friends of Nepal nor of India. The reaction to this movement will go against the interests of Nepalese settlers. Under such circumstances India may claim the Bhojpuri-, Maethili- and Bengali-speaking areas of Nepal Terai. Such a situation would certainly be undesirable. Similar is the case of the Jews who expanded into the land of Palestine. Palestine originally belonged to the Jews and the Arabs drove them out. The Pakistani infiltration into the territories of India cannot be treated as a justified move. The planned way in which this infiltration is going on indicates that it is motivated by expansionist intentions. The proposal to form India into a confederation consisting of three zones was put forward by Sir Stafford Cripps 3 before independence. Of these zones, one would consist of Assam and Bengal, another would consist of the Punjab, Baluchistan, the Frontier Province and Sindh, and the third would consist of the remaining parts of undivided India and would be named India. The Muslims accepted this proposal because they knew that they would form the majority in two zones, excepting India, within a short period. The Assamese, however, did not agree to this proposal. This is the reason why the Muslims have had an eye on the land of Assam for some time. And so there is planned infiltration into the

3 Sir Stafford Cripps was sent to India by Prime Minister Churchill to secure Indian cooperation for Britain’s war effort in World War Two. In March 1942 he met with leaders of the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League to negotiate their support in exchange for full self-government after the war. India became independent in 1947. –Eds.

32 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 territory of India with the intention of taking the adjoining area [of Assam] within [East] Pakistan [now Bangladesh], because there is a shortage of land. This type of infiltration is taking place due to the efforts of the Pakistan government in the districts of Santhal Pargana and Purnea in Bihar, and Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal,4 and throughout Assam. In the western corner of India there is a move to create Punjabi Suba [the State of Punjab]. This is the outcome of the cry for linguistic states5 by some respectable all-India leaders. These leaders marked a certain leader’s [i.e., Mahatma Gandhi’s] weakness for Muslims, so they demanded Punjabi Suba. Their intention is to create an independent Punjab. In the past they launched a campaign for Sikhistan [a Sikh homeland]. Large numbers of Sikhs live only in the northern and western Punjab. There is practically no difference between Hindus and Sikhs, as they speak the same language and are guided by the same Hindu Code.6 Before independence [in undivided Punjab] there were 57% Muslims, 30% Hindus and 13% Sikhs; now there are 70% Hindus and 30% Sikhs. The demand for Punjabi Suba, though inwardly communal in character, outwardly appears to be a demand for a linguistic state. Leaders who once supported the idea of a linguistic state

4 At the time this discourse was given (June-July 1961), the eastern boundaries of both Santhal Pargana and Purnea districts also formed part of the eastern border of Bihar, and in some places were less than 20 kilometres from East Pakistan. The Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal were located between Bihar and East Pakistan, and parts of the western boundaries of both these districts also formed the eastern boundary of Santhal Pargana. (Santhal Pargana is no longer a district of Bihar; it is now the name of a division of Jharkhand.) –Eds. 5 The States Reorganization Act, 1956, reorganized the states of India along linguistic lines. –Eds. 6 The Hindu Code is the common name for various pieces of legislation dealing with civil law enacted by the Indian parliament from 1955, (although some pieces of legislation enacted before this date have also been included in the Hindu Code,) and pertains to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, etc. (The civil affairs of Muslims and Christians are covered by different codes.) –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 33 are now afraid of the demands of the Sikhs. A funny situation indeed!

Intuitional Vision

Logic is a psychic survey. Such a survey may or may not be correct; therefore it is futile to follow logic blindly. The result of your psychic survey is called your rationality. This psychic survey, embedded in relativity, may or may not be correct. Intuitional vision is the best logic. Intuitional vision should be your guiding ideology. To take an example: to say that everything has come from the Cosmic Father7 and everything will merge in Him, though an axiomatic truth, is beyond the scope of intellectual logic.

Capitalism

How was capitalism created? Capital is consumable commodities in their potentiality. Intelligent persons used to collect large amounts of capital in the form of consumable goods, but since capital in such a form cannot be stored for a long time, they began to keep capital in the form of money. Such people are called capitalists. These capitalists are the unworthy sons and daughters of the Cosmic Father because they go against the principle of Cosmic inheritance. Other brothers and sisters should cure them of their ailments. To fight capitalism is therefore within your goal. In dharma lies the seed of infinite expression. You are to nourish dharma. Capitalists create hindrances on the path of human beings to prevent them becoming one with the Cosmos

7 The author also says: “Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland.” See “Problems of the Day”, section 1, in Volume 1. –Eds.

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– to prevent them from becoming great. So capitalism is anti- dharma, and the actions of capitalists are anti-dharma too. How can the conduct of capitalists be rectified? In the realm of morality two forces are acting side by side, of which one is internal urge [and the other is external pressure]. Each and every object in the universe has a vital force, which longs for infinite expression. Átman [unit consciousness, self] supplies the necessary stamina to fight the evil forces. But it requires great external pressure to neutralize the evil forces working against the internal urge. Such external pressure may come in the form of suggestion, advice, punishment or clash. Capitalists are immoral and they are fighting a fratricidal war. Their internal urge is meagre and not functioning properly. We are to apply external force to rectify their conduct. Nicely worded advice will not do the job. Hence it is evident that Vinoba’s [Bhúdán] movement8 will be an utter failure. He is incorrect in his way of thinking. Human expression is trifarious. We have unquenchable, infinite physical thirsts, and out of these physical longings capitalism came into existence. Capitalists are toiling day and night for money. This is a natural desire. But physical objectivity is finite, so capitalism is a disease. Human beings have unquenchable, infinite psychic longings too, and out of these excessive psychic longings mental disease arises and people become abnormal. The object of psychic longings associated with physicalities is also finite, but the object of pure psychic longings is infinite. Your psychic body and physical objectivity are always separate, and so the seed of dualism arises. But the attainment of spiritual objectivity means

8 Vinoba Bhave launched the Bhúdán movement in an attempt to persuade landlords to donate land to poor, landless people. –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 35 bridging the gulf between the self and the object, and therein lies peace. The mental disease mentioned above also leads to clash with others and creates many have-nots. We are to divert physical longings to psychic and spiritual longings to avoid fratricidal war and thereby safeguard human rights. In ancient times powerful rajas and maharajas used to perform yajiôas [sacrifices] to declare themselves heroes, but this was also a form of exploitation. They erected many temples, not out of a devotional spirit but to hide their misdeeds. There is an unholy alliance between the physical exploiters and the intellectual exploiters. Intellectuals have praised these rajas and maharajas in all ages. Another form of exploitation is the priesthood. Capitalism will never go against the priesthood, nor will the priesthood go against capitalism. In order to create inferiority complexes, intellectuals have composed many stories and myths, which are illogical and concocted, to exploit the sentiments of the common masses. One such glaring instance is the following verse composed by the opportunistic Sanátaniis:

Bráhmaòo’sya mukhamásiit váhurájanyo’bhavat; Madhya tadasya yadvaeshya padbhyá shúdra ajáyata.

[Brahmans came out of the mouth (of the Supreme Entity), Kïatriyas were born from the arms, Vaeshyas came out of the trunk of the body, and Shúdras were born from the feet.]

In the capitalistic structure industry or production is governed by the profit motive, but in the Proutistic structure production will be governed by the single motive of consumption, and hence no part of the universe has to be considered barren, nor can any part be neglected.

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Labour Disputes

Labour disputes have become a chronic disease everywhere in the world today. In ancient times there was no bonus system. Some large industrialists used to give a bonus out of compassion, but nowadays a bonus has become a right. It is observed that everywhere the party not in power supports the labour movement, and the party in power suppresses it. Strikes are supported by the communists in India and suppressed by them in Russia.9 How can this problem be solved? We may find a temporary solution to this problem by accepting the labourer’s right to management, granting some dividend out of the net profit, setting apart an amount of money for reserve funds, for sinking funds and for creating fresh capital and the interest thereof, and distributing the net profit among the labourers. But this is not a permanent solution. The question is how to fix the percentage of the share [to be distributed among the labourers] out of the net profit. In Bengal the bataidars [bargadars, or sharecroppers] first claimed half and later two thirds [of the crops they produced]. This percentage will change with the moving world. The permanent solution lies in building a large-scale cooperative movement and transferring the ownership of machines to the workers. There should not be very big industries other than key industries. These key industries will be managed and owned by the [immediate] government.10 And in order to keep labour relations congenial, the bonus system of

9 At the time this discourse was given, Russia was a communist country. –Eds. 10 See also “Problems of the Day”, section 11, and the section Business People in “Various Occupations”, both in Volume 1. –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 37 work and piece-rate payment11 [the piece-work system] should be adopted. Render more service and get more profit! The bonus system of work and bonus payment12 are two different things. Payment for the time saved in doing a particular piece of work is called the bonus system of work. To take a concrete example, if the time allowed for manufacturing a scissor blade is two hours and the work is actually performed in one-and-a-half hours, the payment for saving half an hour of time is called the bonus system of work. In Japan, which is one of the most industrially-developed countries, there are hardly any labour disputes because work is done according to the bonus system and on a piece-rate basis, and they [i.e., industries] are mostly managed by cooperatives.13

Cooperatives

Regarding cooperatives, we must not forget that cooperatives function properly only under a dictatorial government. They cannot function under a democratic structure. Before starting cooperatives, a [conducive] psychological background has to be created. In the Proutistic structure rationalization means less labour, more leisure and more comfort. In order to safeguard the interests of these cooperatives in the field of industry, it has already been emphasized that key industries should be run by the [immediate] government, so that there will not be any occasion for a tool-down [i.e., production shutdown] and the subsequent

11 Piece-rate payment is a system in which labourers receive payment from the profit or part of the profit from each item they produce. The more labourers produce, the greater their payment. –Eds. 12 A bonus payment is usually paid from the net per annum profit of an enterprise. In the case of industrial labourers, a bonus payment may or may not be proportional to each labourer’s individual production. –Eds. 13 By the late 1950s, the Japanese economy had developed several features of a cooperative economy. –Eds. 38 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 closure of subsidiary industries in the cooperative sector. Slogans calling for the cooperative movement are untimely in the present set-up as there is a lack of [a conducive] psychological background. [If cooperatives are established at present,] it will simply mean loss of national wealth. It may be questioned whether it is desirable for a government to be engaged in commercial concerns, and if so, how can the labour problems in such concerns be solved permanently. In principle, governments should not run commercial concerns, but in those cases where it is not possible to run a concern on a cooperative basis, the government should take the lead. Such concerns should, however, be mostly assembly factories. The manufacture of component parts for these assembly factories should be done through industrial cooperatives. In extreme cases, where industrial cooperatives are unable to manufacture certain component parts, it will be done by the government. In these concerns there will be no net profit, because [in many cases] it is only the question of profit which creates labour problems. The cost of production may be suitably reduced to make it a no-profit, no-loss concern. It is, however, incumbent [on the factories] to keep both financial and commercial accounts to ensure that the concern does not run at a loss. If any loss accrues, the factories should be converted into industrial cooperatives.

Land Reform

The zamindary system has been severely criticized due to the following drawbacks. 1) The peasants under this system had no right to the land and were simply tillers. 2) Zamindars used to keep huge areas of land as personal property. 3) There was a huge margin between the rent [i.e., land taxes] collected by the zamindars and the revenue paid to the government by these zamindars. THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 39

The abolition of the zamindary system has not been able to bring the desired result; rather it has adversely affected government revenue. There should have been some legislation to remove the defects inherent in this system. The alternative should have been to curtail some of the zamindars’ powers and to safeguard the interests of the peasants. Some such legislation was passed in Bengal and goes by the name of the Bengal Prajásatwa Bill. It curtails some of the powers of the zamindars and accepts the right of peasants to be the owners of land. In a backward country like India, the government should not have nationalized the zamindary system, but should have fixed a ceiling on the bank balances of zamindars and confiscated their savings for investment in key industries. One pertinent question that may be posed is whether a land ceiling or a ceiling on bank balances has to be imposed. It goes without saying that recourse has to be taken to both methods, but the latter should precede the former. This will bring immediate cash to the government to help on the one hand the establishment of new industries, and to check on the other hand the growth of capitalism. By enforcing land ceilings no direct benefit is expected to accrue to the nation, because neither will the available cultivable land be increased nor will production be increased, since it is not the intention of the government to cultivate land itself. This will rather wound public sentiment, and the public may think that the state has replaced the zamindary system. In the face of food shortages, it is not advisable to change the land policy immediately. The huge margin [between the land taxes collected and] the revenue paid to the state by the zamindars may be bought to a permissible limit by imposing a tax, like income tax, on their personal income.

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Dowry

Another glaring instance of social injustice is the custom of dowry. This is a real disgrace in a civilized society. If we go deeply into the causes behind such injustice, it will be clear that there are three main reasons behind it. 1. Disproportionate number of males and females. If the number of males is more, the females get a dowry, and vice versa. In the Punjab the number of males was more than the number of females, so the females got a dowry. Similar is the case of the Muslims. 2. Disproportionate incomes earned by males and females. The Nayar and Iyavar communities of Kerala follow the matrilineal order, hence no dowry is claimed by the males. Similar is the case of the Khasia community of Assam. In Burma [now Myanmar], though the patrilineal order is in vogue, as women [were economically independent and] earned more, they got a dowry. 3. False vanity of the aristocracy. Aristocratic people think, “Our family is a high-class family, hence we should get a dowry.” In a Proutistic structure there will be no scope for dowry.

Property Rights

It may be asked how the property of a father is to be distributed among his children. While the Dáyabhága14 system has to be adopted everywhere, the rights of female children have to be safeguarded by giving them equal shares [of the father’s property] with their brothers, so that they may not have

14 In the Dáyabhága system the heirs’ right of inheritance is subject to the discretion of the father, who enjoys the right to disinherit any of the heirs. See also “Ideal System of Inheritance”, Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 1, 1956, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 41 to lead a life of charity in the event that they become widowed. Daughters may only, however, enjoy the property during their lifetime, and they will have no right to alienate. After the death of the daughters, the property will revert back to their brothers or their brothers’ children.15 In theory, the universe is our common patrimony. This patrimony has to be managed by the Proutists, because others may suffer from selfish sentiments or groupism. To enjoy a right and to enjoy the right of management are not the same thing. Since, mostly, human beings are followers and not leaders, the right of management will be vested in a select few. In every sphere of life – social, economic, political, etc. – a few intellectual-cum-intuitional workers should have the right to manage property and to safeguard the rights of the followers. Each and every individual has the inborn right to enjoy our common patrimony, the mundane property. Anyone who goes against this fundamental law is a vested interest. Nobody should be allowed to go against this; if anybody does so, he or she should be cured of his or her mental ailments. The process of curing them may be termed dharma yuddha [“the war of dharma”]. It is the duty of each sadvipra to protect the ignorant masses from the fatal hunger wrought by self-seeking exploiters. These self-seekers try to hide themselves and their naked brutality under the camouflage of democracy. Really speaking, democracy is a counterfeit bronze coin gilded with the elixir of high-sounding words.

15 Before 1955, the Dáyabhága system was followed in West Bengal and the Mitákïará system was followed in northern India. After the introduction of the Hindu Code in 1955 (and especially the Hindu Succession Act), both the Dáyabhága and Mitákïará systems were repealed and a new system was introduced throughout India, although a somewhat muted version of the Dáyabhága system continued to be followed in West Bengal. –Eds.

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Universalism

It has become the fashion of the day to call for nationalism. In fact, nationalism is also a mental ailment. Supreme broadness lies with the Supreme Self [i.e., Supreme Consciousness]. The broadness of an individual depends on his or her angle of vision; as the angle of vision becomes smaller and smaller, he or she gets more and more mean-minded. Those who think that casteism is worse than nationalism are also incorrect. The total population of Brahmans in India is in the order of two crores [20 million], and the Malayan [Malaysian] population is about 45 lakhs [4.5 million]. The angle of vision of a Brahman casteist is bigger than that of a Malayan nationalist. Persia [now Iran] has a population of 1.5 crores [15 million] and Australia has a total population of 75 lakhs [7.5 million]. The continentalism of Australia is worse than the nationalism of Persia. An Indian nationalist is more mean-minded than a Chinese nationalist. It is universalism and universalism alone that deserves to be supported. In fact, universalism is no ism, for it is all pervading and does not recognize any group or party interest. The psychic projection of a universalist does not know any narrowness. Universalism is the only panacea for all mundane and supramundane ailments. A Proutist is necessarily therefore a universalist.

World Government

To materialize the concept of universalism, a world government is necessary. This world government should be a confederation of all the federated states of the world. The federated states will consist of economic units or zones,16

16 See “Socio-Economic Groupifications” in Volume 3. –Eds. THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 43 formed entirely on geographic and economic considerations. Economically-developed areas have a tendency to exploit economically-undeveloped areas, hence these areas should be formed into different units. To take a concrete example inside India, Vidarbha, a Marathi-speaking area, does not want to remain a part of Maharashtra, but wants to be a separate state. Another important example is Azerbaijan. The Persian portion of Azerbaijan agitated to merge with the Russian portion for the purpose of economic development. The different units or zones so formed need not be given any name, but may be numbered for administrative convenience. These units may have certain common factors, and these common factors will unite them into federations. In the initial stage the world government will be a law- making body, and the different federations will have executive powers to implement the laws framed [by the world government]. The federations may or may not fully materialize the laws of the confederation, but they must not have the right to go against them. The confederation will, however, have some executive powers for limited and defined purposes, namely for maintaining inter-federal peace and tranquillity, and for settling interplanetary disputes. This will therefore mean the maintenance of a world militia under the full control of the confederation. The federations and the units will maintain police forces to ensure internal law and order. The economic units or zones will have dictatorial boards. These boards will create one higher board, which will be called the federated board. These federated boards will govern the different federations. The collection of these federated boards will be called the confederated board or body. This body will look after the confederation as a whole, but will not ignore the interests of any federation.

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Language

The problem of language is attacking human society like a chronic disease. Ignorance of the proper meaning of language has made the confusion worse. Language is a medium of expression. There are six stages in the process of expression. The seed of expression is called paráshakti, and lies in the múládhára cakra [terranean or basal plexus, at the base of the spine]. In the svádhiïíhána cakra [fluidal plexus, at the genitals], a person mentally visualizes the expression. The mental vision of one’s expression is called pashyanti shakti. In the maòipura cakra [igneous plexus, at the navel] this mental vision is transformed into mental sound, which is called madhyamá shakti. The person now wants to express that feeling. This endeavour to express the feeling is called dyotamáná shakti. It works between the navel area and the throat. In the vocal cord it transforms an idea into language. This is called vaekharii shakti. After vaekharii [shakti] it is transformed into actual spoken language, and is termed shrutigocará [shakti]. Linguistic differences are manifest only in the sixth stage of expression. In the first five stages there are no distinctions or variations in the expression. Much chaotic inhumanity could be checked if our linguists, and the mischief-mongers who create language disputes, knew this fundamental thing. In essence, it is ignorance that brings untold miseries to humanity. It has been a great folly on the part of Prakrti [the Supreme Operative Principle] to create so many languages, but diversity is the law of nature. In the past, undeveloped persons used to express their thoughts through gestures and postures. A time will come when there will be no language. With the advancement of science humanity may again adopt new modes of postures and gestures, and may think of utilizing the energy saved due to THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 45 minimizing the use of spoken language for the higher pursuits of life. Intelligent persons will develop a common world language and will not be misled by false, narrow sentiments. Like all other mundane property, all languages are the creation of the Cosmic Father. We shall love all these languages, hate none, and adopt one such language as the world language. This will also be our common property, but we shall not oppose the existence of other languages. We shall not brand any language as foreign or national. In the present set-up the English language, due to its widespread adoption and scientific character, can claim to be the world language. It would be a great folly for any government to deny this fact. Future generations may select any other language as the world language as time changes.

Script

In the present world there are four types of scripts: 1) Indo- Aryan scripts; 2) Semitic scripts; 3) Occido-Aryan scripts; and 4) Monglo-Chinese scripts. The Monglo-Chinese scripts are scripts of pictographical order: all the letters of the scripts are pictures. There are about 1055 letters. In the Occido-Aryan scripts there are twenty to thirty-five letters. In the Indo-Aryan scripts there are about fifty letters, and in the Semitic scripts there are twenty to thirty letters. The Chinese and Japanese have started adopting the Roman script, as their Monglo-Chinese scripts are unscientific. Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Kashmiri, etc., are Semitic scripts and are written from right to left. These scripts are difficult to write and take a long time to print. Malay has abandoned the Arabic script and adopted the Roman script because of this difficulty. 46 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Under the Indo-Aryan scripts come the scripts of Tibet and Southeast Asia. These scripts are good to some extent, but difficulties lie in the joint letters.17 [The Occido-Aryan scripts include the Greek and Roman scripts.] Practical experience has shown that the Roman script is the best script. It is the most scientific. Those who oppose it do so due to local sentiments. Proutists will not go against any local script, but they will encourage the most scientific script as the world script. At present the Roman script is the most scientific script. Future generations may evolve new scripts.

Culture

Culture is a vague term. It is the collective name for the different expressions of life. People eat and enjoy social interaction, they laugh on a particular occasion and shed tears on another, and thereby express life through various actions. The collective name of all these actions is culture. The particular actions of life, which are not considered to be beneficial to other groups, are called krïíi [“culture”, in a general sense]. To take a very common example, an English family, out of hospitality, may offer beef to an Indian guest, which the latter may not like. Saîskrti [which also means “culture”] is used in a good sense. As per the Proutistic idea, the entire society has got the same culture. There are local variations only in the mode or state of [cultural] expression, but the expression is there. Everybody eats – some by hand, others with chopsticks, and still others with a spoon. Indian dance is based on mudrá [gesture] and

17 Joint or conjunct letters are created when two or more letters are joined together to form a new letter. Some Indo-Aryan scripts form dozens of new letters by this method. Difficulties arise both in understanding and using such letters. –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 47

European dance is based on rhythm, but they cannot be said to be two different cultures. Local variations will also vanish if there is a close blending of different groups of people, because this will create common customs. In Nepal there is a blending of Hindu and Buddhist customs; in Bengal there is a blending of Aryan and Dravidian customs. These local variations are called “customs”. Local modes of expression bearing local or group specialities are customs, but the expression itself is culture. It is therefore a blunder to re-adjust [state] boundaries on the basis of language and culture. Indian culture is one and the same. The re-adjustment of boundaries on the basis of customs is not possible, for customs may differ within the same locality.

Family Planning and Birth Control

Vested interests do not favour the growth of the population, because that would mean sharing mundane property, which they are hoarding. The capitalistic order would like the extinction of the intellectual class in order to have unlimited scope for exploitation. The intellectual class belongs to the middle-income group. Capitalists encourage family planning and birth control to check the growth of this middle class. Family planning and birth control are therefore a creation of the capitalistic order. Due to age-old superstitions, the common masses do not take the help of these methods. It is the middle- class intellectuals who take their help and become their victims. A Proutistic order would vehemently oppose this move. There is immense potentiality for maintaining the growing population of this world. Scientific inventions make it possible for human beings to live for days together on a tablet. The real glory of humanity lies in creating conditions for adjustment 48 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 with natural processes, rather than in curbing normal processes by artificial measures. Artificial sterilization means making males or females artificially sterile.18 This has certain adverse affects on the mind and body of the individual. Tubal ligations [and vasectomies] bring glandular changes and changes in the hormone secretions, which ultimately affect the mental expression. Due to these changes, a man may be converted into a eunuch. As per the Proutistic view, only the [chronically] diseased and born criminals should be sterilized.

Laboratory Babies

A day is sure to come when human beings will make test- tube babies in laboratories.19 Under such circumstances nature will snatch away the reproductive or generative power from men and women, in the same way as physical changes have evolved in human beings changing the original shape of Australopithecus.20 It is interesting to talk about the coming days of human civilization when the reproductive power of humanity will be seized and human beings will be created in laboratories. To create something is a general instinct in human beings. Inspired by this instinct, people create new things, make new inventions and do research. It is out of this creative urge that human beings produce children. This creative urge, when utilized for the realization of the Macrocosm or the Cosmic Mind within the self, is called prema [“divine love”] or dharma

18 Artificial sterilization is not synonymous with family planning and birth control. –Eds. 19 The first human being conceived through in vitro fertilization was born in England in 1978. –Eds. 20 The various species of Australopithecus lived about 4.4 to 1.4 million years ago. –Eds.

THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 49 sádhaná [“developing one’s spiritual potential”]. Otherwise, the creative instinct is called káma [“physical longing”]. An important fraction of this creative urge is wasted in producing children. When laboratory babies are created and the reproductive power is snatched away by Prakrti, the surplus creative urge can be diverted towards the creation of good things; there will be better discoveries, better inventions and better pursuits in life. Never before has this aspect of utilization been conceived of. Never before has the immense potentiality of human beings been thought of. Prout is therefore a new theory. There will be two kinds of laboratory babies: mechanical and biological. Mechanical babies [i.e., advanced robots or androids] will be like dolls operated by electric power. The different organs of these babies will be able to be put into action by different substations. These substations will also be located within the body. These babies will have no sex difference or nervous system. As they will be bereft of a nervous system, they will not be able to perform sadhana, they will not be able to experience pleasure and pain, and they will not be able to reproduce. They will serve human beings as most obedient servants, silently, according to the direction of their masters. Compared to mechanical babies, biological babies will be perfect. Ova and spermatozoa are both chemical compounds and can therefore be created in a laboratory. Embryos, created by the fusion of the sperm and the ova, can also be developed in a laboratory. Babies created in this way will be called biological babies.21 The entire body, including the brain, can be created, but it is beyond the scope of human endeavour to create the mind. As in the natural evolution of human beings, nature will put a videhii

21 See also “Discourses on Prout”, section 3, in Volume 1. –Eds.

50 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 mánasa [bodiless mind] into the embryos of laboratory babies. This therefore explains why a laboratory baby will not be free from saîskáras [mental reactive momenta]. With the development of medical science, laboratory babies will be able to be given a long life in comparison to normal human beings. Since it may be possible for future human beings to disconnect themselves from their limbs and move anywhere freely with their brain only, the different parts of the body of a biological baby also will be able to be replaced [thereby extending their life], but the brain will not be able to be replaced, for it is a brain with particular saîskáras, and hence replacement of the brain would mean replacement of the personality. The brain is a collection of nerve cells, the totality of which is the personality, so it is not possible to change the brain without changing the nerve cells and consequently the personality. With the advent of biological babies, Prakrti will snatch away the reproductive power from human beings in vengeance, and hence human beings will not be able to reproduce. They will simply create laboratory babies. Though subject to pleasure and pain, biological babies will not have much attachment. They will not be required to undergo much physical struggle because, through the process of scientific inventions, a tablet may be sufficient to sustain them for days together. They will be bereft of family ties, as laboratory babies will be the product of laboratories and made out of chemical compounds. They will gradually develop a tendency of aversion to worldly enjoyment. It is not difficult to envisage the coming of a day when laboratory humans may think that nature has exhausted all its diversities, that the world has lost all its charm, that life is not worth living, and that there is no use even eating. It is better we do not think further on this. This should not, however, be lost sight of: that laboratory humans will be great sádhakas [spiritual aspirants], as they will THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 51 be more conscious of their imperfections. Hence, more leisure will help them to remain engaged in sadhana.

Politicians

Most political leaders are criminals, either physically or intellectually. Common human folk have to be protected from the clutches of these criminals. Proutists have to fight against party politics. They are not against politics or political science, but they have to fight against professional politicians. Only sadvipras have the right to engage in politics; others should be swept out of the field of politics. Political leaders depend on physical power. Though they talk of non-violence, they are guarded by the police force. Physical power is the crudest manifestation of energy. Sadvipras will use intuitional power; intellectual power and physical power will work as their slaves, to be used according to the indications of intuitional power. 22 It goes without saying, therefore, that a sadvipra will be stronger than a political leader.

Conflict

Fight is the essence of life. Biologically life is an expression of inner stamina, and externally or physically it is a ceaseless fight to restore an unstable equilibrium. Anywhere and everywhere in the universe there is conflict. Why? If one looks at the process of creation, one will observe that creation has originated from the nucleus. In the first phase of creation, that is, in the phase of expansion, it is Avidyámáyá [extroversial force], which has supplied stamina to the Cosmic

22 See also “Acquire Proper Force” in Volume 4. –Eds.

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Mind, which is the cause of this process. It cannot, however, be denied that Vidyámáyá [introversial force] is totally absent in this phase. In fact, in the struggle between Vidyá and Avidyá, the former is suppressed by the latter, and the result is expansion from the original [i.e., the nucleus]. In the second phase, namely the phase of withdrawal, it is Vidyá which supplies the life juice [i,e., the dynamism] for an interial move to the nucleus. Here Avidyá is fighting a losing battle. In essence, in every sphere there is a fight between Vidyá and Avidyá, and the result is progress – exterial or interial. When Avidyá wins, the process of crudification goes on; when Vidyá wins, the process of introversion goes on. Everywhere in the universe – manifested or unmanifested – there is ceaseless fight. No particle is at rest, even for a moment. For running a government we require strong military and police forces, for in society, also, there will be a fight between Vidyá and Avidyá. Even within one’s self, such a fight will continue. Those who call for disarmament are also preparing within. Even after the establishment of a universal government, we will require military and police forces to maintain peace.

The Education System

In a democratic set-up, non-educationalist politicians poke their noses into university affairs. They do not know what education is, but they are the first to interfere to create a sentiment among the people in favour of the particular ism they are preaching. They have no other intention. In a democratic government public support has to be purchased to secure votes, and this is the reason politicians make all-out efforts to create a sentiment. In communist countries no ism other than Marxism can be preached. People are forced to love it. Institutions that have educational value should not be controlled by political leaders. Educators should control the THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 53 education system. Educators will also control the wireless and radio networks, otherwise the party in power will get the scope to propagate their ism through the wireless system, as they do in the case of books approved by boards [of education] and universities.

Ánanda Parivára

Ánanda Parivára [a blissful, universal family] involves not only a world government, but also a universal government. More correctly, it is a universal social order. How can such a Parivára be established? Certainly this will come through revolution, which may be democratic or non- democratic; it may be a synthetic or group revolution; it may be a pyramidical, palace or nuclear revolution. Among all the types of revolution, nuclear revolution is the best. The nucleus of creation, that is, Cosmic Consciousness, being their goal, whatever the revolutionaries do by way of revolution leads them to the culminating point of life’s march. Revolution must have an ideological goal. In essence, revolution means controlling all the three nuclei of the universe: physical, psychic and spiritual.23 It is possible in a democracy to make people conscious of Proutistic ideas. This consciousness will have a reaction in elections. Even before the elections are held, this consciousness may launch a revolution to change the social order. The terms sadvipra and “moralist” are not synonymous. Sádhakas who control the nucleus of the social order are called sadvipras. Sadvipras will control the nucleus, and check the exploitation of one class by others. If necessary, they may accelerate the speed of the social cycle and bring revolution.

23 See also “Nuclear Revolution”. –Eds.

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By a normal process, when vaeshya rule exploits the other classes in society, the sadvipras will bring about a revolution in the social order and establish kïatriya rule.

Social Security

Each and every individual wants security from the state, and this demand for security is always on the increase. Increased responsibility means increased right. In ancient times the only duty of the state was to protect people from internal and external chaos. Now, as a result of an ever-increasing demand, the responsibility of the state has increased, and its right has also increased. In ancient times nobody demanded food or employment from the government. There were no strikes or public meetings. People now want the state to realize its responsibility, but to not interfere in any matter. The Proutistic view is that we must not go against the fundamental public interest or against the fundamental theory. The fundamental theory is that, with the increase in responsibility, the right of the state should also increase. But while exercising that right, the state should not go against public sentiment. The fundamental public interest is that the minimum requirements of life should be guaranteed. It may be questioned whether it is wise for any government to guarantee the supply of the minimum requirements. If the state is to supply cereals, pulses, salt, gram, peas, lentils, ghee, butter, etc., then naturally the state has to arrange a process of control measures, which people may not like. Hence the Proutists’ view is that people should be guaranteed the provision of purchasing power sufficient to meet their requirements. In that case the state need not adopt control measures. The other disadvantage of guaranteeing [the supply of] the minimum requirements is that if consumable goods are supplied to everyone, people will become lethargic. People THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 55 should therefore be guaranteed purchasing power in exchange for the work they render, according to their physical, psychic or spiritual capacity. Diversity is the law of nature, so there cannot be any hard and fast rule about the guarantee of minimum requirements. It will vary according to time, space and person. A few persons with extraordinary physical, metaphysical or intellectual ability may demand something more than ordinary people. Special amenities have to be provided for them. Certain items, such as food, housing, education, ordinary clothing and medical facilities, are minimum requirements. Nothing is stationary; everything is moving. So the minimum guarantees and the special amenities will undergo changes with the changes in time, space and person. What should be the approach of Proutists? Ours should be a never-ending endeavour to minimize the gap between the guarantee of minimum requirements and the special amenities. The guarantee of minimum requirements will take the place of special amenities, and extraordinary persons will get more items as special amenities.24 The Third Five-Year Plan, prepared by the Planning Commission of India,25 presents an unwholesome picture of unsystematic and unplanned methods of activity, and also planned methods of exploitation by vested interests. Though there have been investments of a disproportionately high order, the purchasing power of labourers has not been sufficient for their minimum requirements. Hence, while on the one hand labourers have received less consumable goods than they need due to less purchasing power, on the other hand contractors

24 See also “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities” in Volume 4. – Eds. 25 The Third Five-Year Plan covered the period from 1961 to 1966. The Planning Commission of India existed from 1951 to 2014; from 2015 it became known as NITI Aayoy. NITI is an acronym for National Institution for Transforming India. The Twelfth (and final) Five-Year Plan ended in March 2017. –Eds. 56 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 have captured excessive purchasing power and excessive consumable goods leading to luxury. So the balance has been upset. The major part of the capital investment went to the contractors, and a microscopic fraction went to the labourers. There are therefore no middle-class people in India, as there were in pre-independence days. Only well-dressed labourers have become the so-called middle class.

Ideological Unity

Human unity is purely an ideological unity, which means unity on the psychic level. Where there is psychic unity, there will also be physical unity. In the realm of unity, unity is always psychic. Ideological unity means unity on the subtlest level of the mind. Psychic or ideological unity may, however, be affected if, subsequently, we encourage the exploitation of one group by another. To avoid this, in the social structure there should not be any scope for exploitation. To ensure this we must start a new thetical order to safeguard the interests of the exploited masses. For proper social synthesis, what we require most is a common philosophy of life, that is, ideological unity. In order to check exploitation on the physical level we require something more, and this something more comprises a common constitutional system and penal code and the availability of the minimum essentialities of life. We want these things for the entire human society. They are interlinked with one another. Up till now these were based on people’s faith, local manners and customs, usages, etc. Generally local manners and customs do not go against cardinal human principles, but sometimes they do. Legal structures were prepared on the basis of [religious] faiths. So up till now there have been certain differences between sin and crime. Legal structures do not follow usages THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 57 totally, but once usages are accepted by a certain percentage of the population, they do. According to Islamic custom, for example, to accept interest is a sin, but this is not a crime in Islamic countries, according to the Islamic legal framework. Our view is that there should be no difference between sin and crime, and hence the penal code should be prepared on the basis of human cardinal principles. Regarding the term “human cardinal principles”, to act according to the dictates of Yama and Niyama26 is to act as per cardinal human principles, and to go against them is to go against cardinal human principles.27 To go against Yama and Niyama is a sin as well as a crime. We should have nothing to do with local faiths, customs, etc., at the time of framing the legal structure of human society. You know that nothing is perfect in this relative universe. Hence it is quite natural that the world judicial system – in the past, present or future – will never be perfect. Hence, on the basis of this imperfect system, nobody should be given capital punishment. Each and every individual, criminal or not, can claim from the society a chance to rectify his or her conduct. So, in our legal structure, everybody should get ample scope to rectify his or her character and conduct. If a person is served with capital punishment, he or she will not get such scope, so we denounce this sort of punishment. But in special cases, where a person has become almost a demon and is going against the collective interest, and there is no chance of rectification, he or she may be given capital punishment. During war also an exception is permissible. But we should not support this type of punishment on principle. There should be the same punishment for the same offence throughout the world. The constitutional and legal framework for the world government should be the same everywhere, also.

26 See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. 27 See also “Social Value and Human Cardinal Principles”. –Eds. 58 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

The world government should maintain a world police and military force. We should also adopt a common lingua franca for the mutual exchange of ideas. For this purpose English may be accepted as the world lingua franca for five to six centuries to come. We should, however, feel that all the languages of the world are our languages. So not a single language is to be treated as indigenous, foreign or national. Nobody should treat the world language as a foreign language and discourage its pracar [propagation]. There should be no difference between sin and crime. What is crime? To act according to the dictates of Yama and Niyama is puòya [virtue] and to go against them is pápa [vice]. Vyása has given the definitive interpretation in the following verse:

Aïíádasha puráòeïu Vyásasya vácanádvayam; Paropakárah puòyáya pápáya parapiidánam. – Krïòadvaepáyana Vyása

[Out of the eighteen Puráòas (mythological texts), only two sayings of Vyása are of the essence: puòya (virtue) means doing good to others, and pápa (vice) means doing harm to others.]

To serve the collective interest, to accelerate the speed of the collective body, is the central idea of puòya. To retard the speed of the collective body is pápa.

The Five Fundamental Principles of Prout

1. No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.

A person accumulating physical wealth without the permission of the collective body is certainly going against the THE OBSERVER’S DIARY 59 interests of the collective body. This may mean certain restrictions on individual liberty. The principle is that individual liberty should not go against the interests of the collective body. Since the minimum requirements of life, as also special amenities, will be guaranteed, this will not involve any torture to people.

2. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.

This universe is our common patrimony. Hence all the mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities should be utilized in the best possible way. Nothing should remain unexploited.

3. There should be maximum utilization of physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.

A particular person may possess physical, intellectual or spiritual powers. He or she should be forced to serve the society with his or her respective capacity. In the same way, the collective body should also be forced to serve. For example, Nepalese Gorkhas are a fighting race, so they should be utilized for special work. Similarly, Germans have an inclination towards scientific discoveries and research, so they should be utilized for this purpose.

4. There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.

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If a particular person possesses all three powers, and if only physical services are taken from him or her, he or she may not be able to serve society with his or her intellectual or spiritual potentialities. So there should be an adjustment in the process of taking service from individuals or collective bodies.

5. The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.

To take a particular example, suppose a physically strong man serves the society as a rickshaw puller or a market porter. If, some day, the rickshaw becomes out of date, the method of utilization will change. If another man is more intellectual and has the same physical strength as the former, he should be utilized for intellectual work. The process of utilization will not be the same. Better ways have to be evolved as and when there is scope for them. The process of utilization should be progressive in nature.

27 June to 3 July 1961, Jamalpur

THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT

1. Varòapradhánatá cakradháráyám. [In the movement of the social cycle, one class is always dominant.]

Purport: Since no well-knit social order had evolved in the distant past, we may call that age the Shúdra Age; in those days all people survived by their manual labour. Then came the age of clan leaders – the age of the strong and the brave – which we may call the Kïatriya Age. This was followed by the age of intellectuals, which we may call the Vipra Age. Finally came the age of capitalists, the Vaeshya Age. When the warriors and intellectuals are reduced to the level of manual labourers as a result of exploitation during the Vaeshya Age, shúdra revolution1 occurs. The shúdras have neither a well-knit social order nor sufficient intellect to govern society. Hence, the post-capitalist administration passes into the hands of those who provide the leadership in the shúdra revolution. These people are brave and courageous, so they begin the second Kïatriya Age. In this way the Shúdra, Kïatriya, Vipra and Vaeshya Ages move in succession, followed by revolution; then the second cyclic order begins. Thus the rotation of the samája cakra [social cycle] continues.

2. Cakrakendre sadvipráh cakraniyantrakáh. [Located in the nucleus of the social cycle, sadvipras control the social cycle.]

1 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds.

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Purport: Those who are staunch moralists and sincere spiritualists, and who want to put an end to immorality and exploitation by the application of force, are called sadvipras. They do not belong to the periphery of the social cycle because they are to control society remaining firmly established in the nucleus of the social cycle. The social cycle will no doubt rotate, but if, due to their dominance, the warriors in the Kïatriya Age, the intellectuals in the Vipra Age or the capitalists in the Vaeshya Age degenerate into rapacious exploiters instead of functioning as benevolent administrators, the sacred duty of the sadvipras shall be to protect the righteous and the exploited and subdue the wicked and the exploiters through the application of force.

3. Shaktisampátena cakragativardhanaî krántih. [Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by the application of force is called “evolution”.]

Purport: When warriors degenerate into exploiters, sadvipras will establish the Vipra Age by subduing the exploiting warriors. Consequently, the advent of the Vipra Age, which should have occurred through a natural process, is expedited by the application of force. A change of ages in this way may be called kránti [“evolution”]. The difference between evolution and svábhávika parivarttana [natural change] is only this: in evolution the movement of the social cycle is accelerated by the application of force.

4. Tiivrashaktisampátena gativardhanaî viplavah. [Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “revolution”.]

Purport: When a particular age is replaced by the successive age within a short time, or when the application of THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT 63 tremendous force is necessary to destroy the entrenched hegemony of a particular age, then such change is called viplava [“revolution”].

5. Shaktisampátena vipariitadháráyáî vikrántih. [Reversing the movement of the social cycle by the application of force is called “counter-revolution”.]

Purport: If any age reverts to the preceding one by the application of force, such a change is called vikránti [“counter- evolution”]. For instance, the establishment of the Kïatriya Age after the Vipra Age is counter-evolution. This counter- evolution is extremely short-lived. That is, within a very short time this age is again replaced by the next age or the one after it. In other words, if the Kïatriya Age suddenly supersedes the Vipra Age through counter-evolution, then the Kïatriya Age will not last long. Within a short time either the Vipra Age, or as a natural concomitant the Vaeshya Age, will follow.

6. Tiivrashaktisampátena vipariitadháráyaî prativiplavah. [Reversing the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “counter- revolution”.]

Purport: Likewise, if within a very short time the social cycle is turned backwards by the application of tremendous force, such a change is called prativiplava [“counter- revolution”]. Counter-revolution is even more short-lived than counter-evolution.

7. Púròávartanena parikrántih. [A complete rotation of the social cycle is called “peripheric evolution”.]

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Purport: One complete rotation of the social cycle, concluding with shúdra revolution, is called parikránti [“peripheric evolution”].

8. Vaecitryaî prákrtadharmah samánaî na bhaviïyati. [Variety is the law of nature, there cannot be 100% equality.]

Purport: Diversity, not identity, is the innate characteristic of the Supreme Operative Principle. No two objects in the universe are identical, nor two bodies, two minds, two molecules or two atoms. This diversity is the inherent tendency of the Supreme Operative Principle. Those who want to make everything equal are sure to fail because they are going against the innate characteristic of the Supreme Operative Principle. All things are equal only in the unmanifest state of the Supreme Operative Principle. Those who think of making all things equal inevitably think of the destruction of everything.

9. Yugasya sarvanimnaprayojanaî sarveïáî vidheyam. [The minimum requirements of an age should be guaranteed to all.]

Purport: Hararme pitá Gaorii mátá svadeshah bhuvanatrayam. That is, “Supreme Consciousness is my father, the Supreme Operative Principle is my mother, and the three worlds are my homeland.” The entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all, though no two things in the universe are absolutely equal. So the minimum requirements of life should be made available to everybody. In other words, food, clothing, medical treatment, housing and education must be provided to all. The minimum requirements of human beings, however, change according to the change in ages. For instance, for conveyance the minimum requirement may be a THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT 65 bicycle in one age and an aeroplane in another age. The minimum requirements must be provided for all people according to the age in which they live.

10. Atiriktaî pradátavyaî guòánupátena. [The surplus wealth should be distributed among meritorious people according to the degree of their merit.]

Purport: After meeting the minimum requirements of all in any age, the surplus wealth will have to be distributed among meritorious people according to the degree of their merit. In an age when a bicycle is the minimum requirement for common people, a motor vehicle is necessary for a physician. In recognition of people’s merit, and to provide the meritorious with greater opportunities to serve the society, they have to be provided with motor vehicles. The dictum “Serve according to your capacity and earn according to your necessity”2 sounds pleasing, but will yield no results in the hard soil of the earth.3

2 Here the author is referring to a line by Karl Marx from Critique of the Gotha Programme, 1875: “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.” –Eds. 3 On 13 October 1989 the author gave the discourse “Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities”, included in Volume 4, and instructed that the essential ideas contained in this discourse should be added to the present chapter. These ideas were summarized by the author as follows: “1) Minimum requirements are to be guaranteed to all. 2) Special amenities are for people of special calibre as per the environmental condition of the particular age. 3) Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all, even to those who have no special qualities – to common people of common calibre. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all as per environmental conditions. These amenities are for those of ordinary calibre – the common people, the so-called downtrodden humanity. 4) All three above are never-ending processes, and they will go on increasing according to the collective potentialities. “This appendix to our philosophy may be small, but it is of progressive nature and progressive character. It has far-reaching implications for the future.” –Eds.

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11. Sarvanimnamánavardhanaî samájajiivalakïaòam. [Increasing the minimum standard of living of the people is the indication of the vitality of society.]

Purport: Meritorious people should receive more than the amount of minimum requirements allocated to people in general, and there should be ceaseless efforts to raise the minimum standard of living. For instance, today common people need bicycles whereas meritorious people need motor vehicles, but a proper effort should be made to provide common people with motor vehicles. After everybody has been provided with a motor vehicle, it may be necessary to provide each meritorious person with an aeroplane. After providing every meritorious person with an aeroplane, efforts should also be made to provide every common person with an aeroplane, raising the minimum standard of living. In this way efforts to raise the minimum standard of living will have to go on endlessly, and on this endeavour will depend the mundane development and prosperity of human beings.

12. Samájádeshena viná dhanasaiôcayah akartavyah. “No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.”4

4 In 1959 the author gave five principles in English, which he named the “Five Fundamental Principles of Prout”. They were first published as part of the discourse “The Cosmic Brotherhood” in Idea and Ideology, 1959. The discourse is included in Volume 1. Subsequently, in 1961, the author dictated Ánanda Sútram, which contains five chapters, and was first published in 1962. The fifth chapter, published here as “The Principles of Prout”, contains, as we can see, 16 Sanskrit sútras, or aphorisms, with purports. Aphorisms 12 to 16 correspond to the Five Fundamental Principles of Prout given in English in 1959. In this chapter the author’s original English of each of the Five Fundamental Principles is printed below the corresponding Sanskrit aphorism and, though not a translation as such, is set in inverted commas. Translations by the editors accompany the first eleven Sanskrit aphorisms and are in square brackets. Note that the word THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT 67

Purport: The universe is the collective property of all. All people have usufructuary rights but no one has the right to misuse this collective property. If a person acquires and accumulates excessive wealth, he or she directly curtails the happiness and convenience of others in society. Such behaviour is flagrantly antisocial. Therefore, no one should be allowed to accumulate wealth without the permission of society.

13. Sthúlasúkïmakáraòeïu caramopayogah prakartavyah vicárasamarthitaî vaòíanaiôca. “There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.”

Purport: The wealth and resources available in the crude, subtle and causal worlds should be developed for the welfare of all. All resources hidden in the quinquelemental world – solid, liquid, luminous, aerial and ethereal – should be fully utilized, and the endeavour to do this will ensure the maximum development of the universe. People will have to earnestly explore land, sea and space to discover, extract and process the raw materials needed for their requirements. There should be rational distribution of the accumulated wealth of humanity. In other words, all people must be guaranteed the minimum requirements. In addition, the requirements of meritorious people, and in certain cases those with special needs, will also have to be kept in mind.

14. Vyaïíisamaïíisháriiramánasádhyátmikasambhávanáyáî caramo’payogashca. samája in Sútra 5-12 is normally translated as “society”; “collective body” appears in the English. Parivarttante in Sútra 5-16 is normally translated as “does vary” (present indicative); “should vary” appears in the English. –Eds.

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“There should be maximum utilization of physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.”

Purport: Society must ensure the maximum development of the collective body, collective mind and collective spirit. One must not forget that collective welfare lies in individuals and individual welfare lies in collectivity. Without ensuring individual comforts through the proper provision of food, light, air, accommodation and medical treatment, the welfare of the collective body can never be achieved. One will have to promote individual welfare motivated by the spirit of promoting collective welfare. The development of the collective mind is impossible without developing proper social awareness, encouraging the spirit of social service and awakening knowledge in every individual. So, inspired with the thought of the welfare of the collective mind, one has to promote the well-being of the individual mind. The absence of spiritual morality and spirituality in individuals will break the backbone of the collectivity. So for the sake of collective welfare one will have to awaken spirituality in individuals. The mere presence of a handful of strong and brave people, a small number of scholars or a few spiritualists does not indicate the progress of the entire society. The potential for infinite physical, mental and spiritual development is inherent in every human being. This potentiality has to be harnessed and brought to fruition.

15. Sthúlasúkïma káraòo'payogáh susantulitáh vidheyáh. “There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.”

THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT 69

Purport: While promoting individual and collective welfare, there should be proper adjustment among the physical, mental and spiritual spheres and the crude, subtle and causal worlds. For instance, society has the responsibility to meet the minimum requirements of every individual, but if it arranges food and builds a house for everyone under the impetus of this responsibility, individual initiative is retarded. People will gradually become lethargic. Therefore, society has to make arrangements so that people, in exchange for their labour according to their capacity, can earn the money they require to purchase the minimum requirements. In order to raise the level of the minimum requirements of people, the best policy is to increase their purchasing capacity. “Proper adjustment” also means that while taking service from a person who is physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society should follow a balanced policy. Society will take physical, intellectual or spiritual service from a person depending upon which of these capacities is conspicuously developed in that person. From those who are sufficiently physically and intellectually developed, society will follow a balanced policy and accordingly take more intellectual service and less physical service, because intellectual power is comparatively subtle and rare. From those who are physically, mentally and spiritually developed, society will take maximum spiritual service, less intellectual service and still less physical service. As far as social welfare is concerned, those endowed with spiritual power can render the greatest service, followed by those endowed with intellectual power. Those having physical power, though not negligible, cannot do anything by themselves. Whatever they do, they do under the instructions of those endowed with intellectual and spiritual power. Hence the responsibility of controlling the society should not be in the hands of those who are endowed only with physical power, or 70 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 in the hands of those endowed only with courage, or in the hands of those who are developed only intellectually, or in the hands of those with worldly knowledge alone. Social control will have to be in the hands of those who are spiritually elevated, intelligent and brave all at the same time.

16. Deshakálapátraeh upayogáh parivarttante te upayogáh pragatishiiláh bhaveyuh. “The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.”

Purport: The proper use of any object changes according to changes in time, space and person. Those who cannot understand this simple principle want to cling to the skeletons of the past, and as a result they are rejected by living society. Sentiments based on narrow nationalism, regionalism, ancestral pride, etc., tend to keep people away from this fundamental principle, so they cannot unreservedly accept it as a simple truth. Consequently, after doing indescribable damage to their country, their fellow citizens and themselves, they are compelled to slink away to the background. The method of utilization of every object changes according to time, space and person. This has got to be accepted, and after recognizing this fact, people will have to progressively utilize every object and every idea. For instance, the energy which a powerful person utilizes to operate a huge hammer should be utilized through scientific research to operate more than one hammer at a time, instead of wasting the energy to operate just one hammer. In other words, scientific research, guided by progressive ideas, should extract more and more service from the same human potential. It is not a sign of progress to use outdated technology in an age of developed science. THE PRINCIPLES OF PROUT 71

Society will have to bravely confront different types of obstacles, large or small, that are likely to arise due to the use of various resources and materials created by progressive ideas and developed technology. Through struggle, society will have to move forward towards victory along the path of all-round fulfilment in life.

Pragatishiila upayogatattvamidaî sarvajanahitárthaî sarvajanasukhárthaî pracáritam. [This is the Progressive Utilization Theory, propounded for the happiness and all-round welfare of all.]

28 June 1961, Jamalpur Chapter 5, Ánanda Sútram

YOUR MISSION

Human beings cannot propagate a great ideology by their knowledge, intellect or social status. They can only do it through their conduct. Human conduct is purified by intuitional practices. It is not necessary that one should come from a so- called upper-class family, or that one should have completed higher studies. Rather these factors may create false vanity in one’s mind, which may ultimately stand in the way of improving one’s conduct. In this universe of ours two forces are working side by side: the sentient and the static. Sometimes the sentient force and at other times the static force dominates. There is no scope for a pact between these forces. Human beings will have to march ahead amid the ceaseless struggle of these opposite forces. In society today we see on the one hand hoards of antisocial elements and on the other hand a sense of frustration among the moralists. The moralists have therefore developed a tendency to withdraw from the society. With more wealth and strength, the antisocial elements are in an advantageous position, and the moralists appear to be the culprits. This state of affairs is neither desirable nor befitting, and it should not be allowed to continue. Your duty will be to unite the moralists. Let there be two camps. Let there be an open fight. The moralists have been scattered for so long that they could not fight. The united strength of five moralists is much more than the united strength of a hundred immoralists, because there is an unholy alliance among the latter. Meditation behind closed doors will not do. Gather strength from intuitional practices and unite against the immoralists. YOUR MISSION 73

So your duty is three-fold. Your first duty is to observe morality and to do intuitional practices. Without this you cannot have mental determination. Your next duty is to unite the moralists of the world, otherwise dharma will not endure. The exploited masses, who do not observe Yama and Niyama, the cardinal moral principles,1 cannot fight against their own sense of frustration. It is therefore necessary to unite the moralists. This will be your real dharma. You will become great by doing this, because ideation on the Great makes a person great. In the third stage you will have to mercilessly fight against sin wherever it has taken root in the world. You will have to propagate this mission from door to door. No political party or so-called religious institution can bring salvation. Praising God in concerts with drums and cymbals will not bring salvation either, because this will not bring the sinner to submission. To curb the onslaughts of the immoralists today, arms are more necessary than drums and cymbals. It is not possible to fight against sin as long as there is some weakness in your mind. In this fight your goal is not the sin or the sinner, your goal is the Supreme Consciousness. Anything that comes in the way of this has to be mercilessly removed. When clouds collect around the polestar and cover it, your duty will be to remove the clouds and follow the polestar without caring where the clouds have gone. If you always think of your enemy, your mind will adopt the bad qualities of your object of ideation, but if the Supreme Being is your goal, your mind will be metamorphosed into the Supreme Being Itself. Remember: you have to serve humanity. You have to dedicate yourself to the cause of humanity as a whole. Your life is valuable; your time is even more valuable. You should not waste a single moment. The task is glorious. The task is

1 See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

74 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 novel. Lead the life of a warrior and fight against evil. You will be victorious. So march ahead!

December 1961, Barrackpore

THE INTERPLAY OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

By samája [“society”] ordinarily we mean a collective body of men and women, but the inner spirit of the word samája is actually something else. A samája in the true sense of the term is a group of people moving together – samánam ejate. We can find groups of people moving together in buses, trams and trains, but this fortuitous movement cannot be termed a samája. When different individuals move towards a common goal and actively work to attain it while being inspired by a common ideology, this can be called a samája. The English equivalent of the word samája is therefore not society. 1 Social advancement is a type of social action; it can only come about if there is a strong feeling of unity among the people moving together. Since ancient times social life has existed, although social stability has been lacking. Social stability is largely the product of the Kïatriya Age and the post-Vaeshya Age. The Vaeshya Age leads to shúdra revolution.2 When the conditions are ripe for shúdra revolution, it can be said that social consciousness has been awakened in the people. How can social consciousness be created? For the creation of social consciousness, the influence of an ideology is required, as well as a new awakening among the people due to this ideology. This depends upon many factors, the most important being the leadership of a great personality. For shúdra revolution to occur a strong personality is needed,

1 But as it is the closest in meaning, samája is generally translated as “society”. –

Eds. 2 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds. 76 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 and as long as this factor is absent it is impossible to create a strong society, let alone a social revolution. For the proper guidance of society, two factors are therefore essential: a great ideology and a great personality. Those who talk loudly about society and express horror that it may be destroyed as they anticipate, do not know that no society in the true sense of the term has yet been formed anywhere in the world. So now our primary duty is to create a genuine society. The seeds of social consciousness are inherent in our Saîgacchadhvaî saîvadadhvaî mantra.3 Without this type of a mantra there is no ideology, and without an ideology life is like a voyage without a destination. Human expressions are multilateral, and there are many different ways of life. From all these multifarious activities, the picture that we get of human beings is what we call their culture. The sum total of all the different expressions of human life is called saîskrti [“culture”]. The mode of expression may differ from one group of people to another – some eat with their hands, some use spoons, and yet others use chopsticks – but everyone has to eat. Human culture is therefore one and indivisible. To talk about Hindu culture, Muslim culture, Indian culture or European culture is absurd. Those who hold such narrow ideas are not well-wishers of the human race. The number of ways in which life expresses itself may increase with intellectual development. There is little or no place for fine arts, literature and music in the lives of underdeveloped groups of people, so they express themselves in a smaller number of ways. Where there are a wider variety of expressions, it can be said that there has been more cultural

3 The spirit of this mantra is that all human beings are inseparably united. For the complete mantra and the English translation, see “Social Psychology”, “Ananda Marga – A Revolution” or “Problems of the Day” in Volume 1; for the author’s line- by-line explanation of the mantra, see “Saîgacchadhvaî” in Volume 3. –Eds. CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION 77 development on the material level. People who have the capacity to express themselves in a wider variety of ways are said to be more cultured. Where the expressions of life are primarily concerned with the material world, this is called krïíi, which is a part of saîskrti. Crude expressions are called krïíi. The sum total of crude and subtle expressions is saîskrti. Krïíi may vary from one group of people to another but the saîskrti of human beings is the same for everyone. Cultural expressions and civilization are not synonymous. People who exhibit control and rationality in the way they express themselves may be said to be civilized. To take a concrete example, eating is a cultural expression. Those who think that over-eating is bad think that restraint is civilized. Culture may be expressed in many ways. People who cannot control the way they express themselves may be culturally advanced but they are not civilized. People may be culturally advanced but they cannot be called civilized if they express themselves in an irrational, unreasonable and uncontrolled way. Similarly, a people who are regarded as being culturally backward may not necessarily be socially backward. There are many who consider the Adivasis to be backward. But a dispassionate analysis will reveal that although they may be considered backward culturally due to the limited number of ways in which they express themselves, they have made considerable progress socially and are thus advanced on the social level. The same is the case with the Africans. Since ancient times people have struggled to overcome obstacles. Struggle is the essence of life. Those who call for disarmament are enemies of the human race. They are even reluctant to fight against criminals. Of course, with the spread of civilization people have understood that they should not attack the unarmed and the weak. Unfortunately, there are many who think of themselves as civilized but mercilessly 78 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 crush the helpless and the innocent. The pitiful destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki testifies to the uncivilized behaviour of the so-called developed nations. 4 Although they are culturally advanced, they lack civilization. They should sit at the feet of the Indian Adivasis and learn about civilization. Those who possess atom and hydrogen bombs have to learn that this universe is for human beings and not for demons. More powerful weapons have to be invented to act as a deterrent to these uncivilized persons. Today special importance has to be given to society and civilization. Intellectual development will lead to cultural progress, but restraint and rationality have to be exercised when dealing with the various expressions of culture. Today these qualities are utterly lacking. It is the bounden duty of the world leaders to create a strong society based on a constructive ideology and to spread civilization to all the people everywhere. If this is done, cultural development will automatically occur.

28 May 1962, RU, Monghyr

4 The United States, with the consent of the United Kingdom, detonated two nuclear weapons over Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August 1945 respectively. The total death toll from the bombings is estimated to be over 200,000 people. –Eds.

HUMAN PROGRESS

There are three fundamental strata in the manifest universe: physical, metaphysical and causal. Over and above this there is one transcendental sphere. In the human being there are also three strata: crude, subtle and causal. And besides this there is one reflected consciousness. There is no question of any development in the sphere of consciousness because átman [unit consciousness, self] is a transcendental entity without attributes. Where there is imperfection and impermanence, there is scope for development. The movement from imperfection to perfection is called “progress”. There cannot be any development in the transcendental sphere, which is perfect and eternal, although there is plenty of scope for it in the psychic world. The physical sphere is made up of five fundamental factors, which are merely the crude manifestation of the Macrocosm. The physical bodies of all created beings are made from these five fundamental factors. All beings have their origin in Parama Pitá [the Supreme Father]. He belongs to all, equally. This universe is His expression, thus it is the birthright of every living being to enjoy this manifest universe and His protection.1 To desire and accumulate more mundane property than one needs is a crime against society and a sin against God. It is antisocial and highly immoral. It is right and proper to fight vested interests and to wage a war against such antisocial activities.

1 The author also says: “Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland.” See “Problems of the Day”, section 1, in Volume 1. Philosophically, God means Supreme Consciousness. –Eds.

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The physical body is imperfect and impermanent because it is under the bondage of time, space and person. Human beings have an innate and very strong desire to liberate themselves from the bondage of relativity. If they did not have this longing, they would not be able to develop intellectually. Those who have to constantly struggle to maintain their physical existence get little time to develop their minds. The problems associated with arranging their bread and butter will delay their mental development. The guarantee of equal opportunities and the minimum requirements of life to all is essential for the well-integrated evolution and elevation of the human personality. The physical body cannot attain liberation from the bondages of time, space and person. The degree of bondage will vary from individual to individual, but whatever the degree of bondage, every person will have to fight ceaselessly in order to progress intellectually. Otherwise they will not be able to grow mentally. Struggle is the essence of life and inaction is death. Avoidance of struggle is hypocrisy. Selfish people and vested interests who do not like human beings to be free and prosperous invent and propagate various kinds of isms in the form of lifeless dogmas to exploit the ignorant masses. In the name of isms, they sow the seeds of dissension and fissiparous tendencies in society in order to perpetuate their system of exploitation. Human society is one and indivisible. There is no fundamental difference between one human being and another. All derive their vital energy and life force from the same source. Hence talk of division and differentiation is detrimental to the human race. In the Macrocosmic sphere, the subtle world is above the crude world. The same is the case in the microcosmic sphere. In order to progress intellectually people have to strive energetically, otherwise the mind will run after crude physicalities. Due to crude thinking or the constant HUMAN PROGRESS 81 superimposition of crude waves, mind will be converted into matter. Mind cannot remain bound within crudeness. Therefore everyone should contemplate higher and subtler phenomena or ideate on the Cosmic Self [i.e., Cosmic Consciousness]. The crude and the subtle mental bodies are part of the psychic body of Paramátman [the totality of all the unit consciousnesses]. Hence we cannot ignore anyone. Everyone has an equal right to utilize mundane potentialities in order to maintain their physical existence, and in the same way everyone must also be given equal opportunities to progress mentally. An inferiority complex is a kind of mental ailment. Due to poverty, lack of education and social injustice, there are many people who think that they are inferior and useless. Virtuous people and the well-wishers of society will have to arrange proper treatment for these ailing individuals. It is a matter of great regret that since time immemorial those who call themselves religious leaders have been fostering such complexes. They have been exploiting the common masses by propagating different kinds of isms. Those who advocate the implementation of such fissiparous ideas in the physical sphere are satans, and those who advocate such harmful theories in the intellectual sphere are polished satans. Mental development is impossible unless one makes a constant endeavour to liberate oneself from physical bondage. In the same way unless one makes a constant effort to liberate oneself intellectually, one will not be able to progress in the causal world. Intellectual growth is essential for intuitional development, although intellectual growth can only lead to impermanent emancipation. Every movement is pulsative, both in the physical and intellectual spheres. Ordinarily it is not perceptible in the physical sphere. Pulsation means the combination of speed and pause. When a pause is experienced in the intellectual sphere, 82 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 we call it intellectual liberation. The state of mind where the mind is free from doubts and problems for a while is known as the state of pause or intellectual liberation. Psychic force is created due to clashes in the intellectual sphere; it strikes the causal mind and powders it down. This ultimately results in the conversion of the causal mind into [unit] consciousness (self). The intuitional faculty developed due to clashes in the intellectual sphere converting the mind into consciousness. Intellectual pursuits should not be directed towards physicality. The mental river can flow in both directions: towards both crudity and subtlety. If the mental current flows towards subtlety, it will bring about emancipation, and if it is directed towards crudity, it will tighten the knot of bondage. Wise, educated and intelligent people will chose the path leading to truth and immortality, and educated fools will move along the path leading to crudeness and darkness. The renaissance movement is working towards reviving subtler and higher thinking in human beings and encouraging enlightenment. It is my desire that every person should be guaranteed the minimum physical requirements of life, that every person should get scope to fully express their psychic potentiality, that every person should get an equal opportunity to attain absolute truth, and that everyone should be benefited by all the glories and achievements of the world and march towards the Absolute.2 Through this renaissance movement, people should be made conscious of the purpose and meaning of life.

May 1963, RU

2 With such aims, the author had founded Renaissance Universal on 27 January 1958. –Eds.

THE KÏATRIYA AGE

The existence of the relative factors of time, space and person is substantiated in the field of cognition, and the cognizant bearing in its inertness is the highest stance of these factors. The inherent dynamicity of an entity, depending on the existential collaboration of another entity (or in certain cases of other entities, in which case immobility becomes of indefinite character), is called its gati [movement], while that of an entity independent of other entities is called its agati [immobility]. When this relative movement loses its adjustment with the temporal factor, it may be called a state of pause – in a limited sense, staticity. The movement of an entity in relation to the witnessing faculty may be called its accelerated or retarded movement, depending upon the degree of its actional expression. The question of whether or not movement and inertness are absolute is a knotty problem for both science and philosophy. In fact, just as dynamicity is characterized by the stigma of relativity, by the same logic inertness is also characterized by the stigma of relativity. So from an absolute point of view, if the existence of movement is denied, the existence of inertness or existential faculty will also have to be denied. When the observable objects do not seem to change place judged by relative standards, we call that state a state of inertness. But in such circumstances, the movement of the observer and the observed entity within the Macrocosmic arena remains beyond the comprehension of our crude and subtle minds. That is why this so-called state of inertness cannot be called absolute inertness. In individual life the supreme stance is that state in which the causal mind, or astral mind, remains inactive. We cannot call 84 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 the disembodied state of mind the supreme stance because in that case the seed of dynamicity is still active in the Cosmic Mind and the Cosmic corpor with the help of the Cosmic Operative Principle. From this we can deduce that the supreme stance can be attained only when the seed of psychic functioning has been demolished. The Cosmic Operative Principle, whereby the Citishakti [Supreme Cognitive Faculty] goes on transforming itself into Cosmic ectoplasms and those Cosmic ectoplasms into the bha cakra [spatio-eternal system] without undermining its own status, must necessarily imbibe the witness-ship of the Sambharaka [Supreme Substantial Progenitor] of the ectoplasms. In this very witness-ship the ectoplasm-begotten primeval elements get their existential recognition or cognizance but their own motivity does not. The Supreme Substantial Progenitor witnesses the motivities of the ectoplasms in some of its stances like ota (uniscient), anujiôáta (post-uniscient) and anujiôá (post-uniscience). When movement has the scope of being witnessed, there cannot be an acceleration or retardation in movement due to the self-involvement of unit ectoplasms. Though unit ectoplasms feel their internal movement, their external movement, which is dependent upon other entities, is not felt due to the absence of any second entity other than the unit ectoplasms themselves, and thus, instead of calling their sense of movement movement, it is more appropriate to call it non-movement or motionlessness. Unit consciousness, when it is self-dependent (it is dependent on others also), views the transposition of objects, and only that part of movement actually comes under the category of motion. When the self-dependent movement (as also the dependent one), giving up its effort or failing in its effort to exert, surrenders to the state of motionlessness, such a condition indeed is called cessation. Apparently all kinds of movement in THE KÏATRIYA AGE 85 this expressed universe are linked with the state of pause. Thus every action is systaltic. The saîkocátmaka bháva 1 is an attempt to find stability in a state of pause. Pause is only a temporary state of inertness. Full expression of action occurs only after attaining momentum for movement from the state of inertness. No action is possible without momentum attained from the state of inertness, and thus every action (roughly, it is also called movement) must be systaltic or pulsative by nature. In the same way, unhindered expansion or enhancement and unhindered contraction are impossible in the realm of mundanity. The manifestative bearing of action or movement is directly related to the relative factors of time, space and person, and the contractive bearing is an attempt at detachment from the temporal factor. As the state of contraction is entrenched in inertness, the unit entity loses its awareness of the temporal factor. Is that state which we call the state of expression a continuous process? In fact, the cause of expression is the momentum derived from the state of pause. With the momentum thus attained, the state of manifestation continues with ever-increasing speed until it reaches a final stage, which is also a state of pause. This pause is also entrenched in a state of inertness, but in this state, due to the expressive impact of the temporal factor, no momentum can be acquired from the state of inertness. In the next state of pause, that is, in the second half of movement, the manifestative movement is transformed into non-manifestative inertness. This state of non-

1 I.e., the saîkocátmaka bháva, or systolic bearing, of every action. The word saîkocátmaka can be translated “systolic”, “contractive” or “retardative”; throughout this section “systolic” and “contractive” have been used. The word vikáshátmaka can be translated “diastolic”, “expansive”, “expressive” or “manifestative”; throughout this section the latter three terms (or their noun forms) have been used. The word saîkocavikáshátmaka (“having the nature of both systole and diastole”) has always been rendered as “systaltic” or “pulsative”. –Eds. 86 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 manifestative inertness is ever-decreasing by nature. This process of gradual contraction is nothing but an ultimate surrender to the state of inertness. A structure or an entity, after getting momentum from systolic pause, progresses towards manifestative pause. This is the rule. This momentum is attained in the absence of the assertive presence of the temporal factor. Such momentum cannot be attained when the personal factor is defective or not manifest. This sort of absence of the personal factor or structural defect is termed death. We can roughly compare this systaltic movement with a trek across a series of hills which are arranged in successive order. Having gathered vital force from the plain, one advances towards the first summit, that is, towards the state of manifestative pause. The trek down the other side of the hill can be compared with the movement towards systolic pause. And then again, acquiring one’s strength, the uphill advance towards the next summit is a renewed attempt to reach manifestative pause. But while climbing up the hill one’s physical speed decreases in relation to the proximity to the summit, although due to one’s increased mental speed, one’s aggregate speed actually increases. If one falls down the other side of the hill and corporeal derangement takes place, one will not be able to climb up the next slope after reaching the plain. This situation is called structural derangement, or death. The human respiratory system also provides us with a good comparison with the systaltic flow of movement. Puraka [inhalation] can be compared with the movement towards manifestative pause. The retention of breath at the end of puraka (púròa kumbhaka) is manifestative pause. Recaka [exhalation] is the movement towards systolic pause. And holding the breath after complete exhalation (shúnya kumbhaka) is systolic pause. In the retention of breath after inhalation there is manifestation of time and continuity of THE KÏATRIYA AGE 87 movement, but no sense of dynamism. In the total exhalation, however, there is no manifestation of time but there is continuity of movement minus the sense of dynamism. [From the end of] one puraka to the beginning of another puraka constitutes half of the cycle of respiration. After every such half-cycle or trip, that is, in every post-exhalation pause, there occurs the death of the unit being. But after gathering vitality for the second time from this death or state of pause, the unit being comes alive again during the next inhalation. If, after the full cycle of inhalation and exhalation, the physical mechanism is unable to gather vital force from the state of pause, further inhalation becomes impossible and what we commonly call death occurs. Actually, the unit structure dies thousands of times every day, after every exhalation. In the scriptures this sort of microcosmic death is called the khaòìa pralaya [partial annihilation] of the unit entity. When the temporal factor is evident and the seed of or potential for further inhalation and exhalation is intact, this cannot be considered death. Yogic texts prescribe various methods of recakánta práòáyáma and purakánta práòáyáma [respiratory control] whereby a huge quantity of vital force may be acquired from the five fundamental factors. When the waves of the unit mind lose parallelism with those of the Macrocosmic Mind or move in the opposite direction, it can be called the degeneration of the unit entity. When the waves of the unit mind move in parallelism, it is called the natural movement of the unit mind. When the waves travel faster, we call it the advancement or progress of the unit mind. Nothing in this relative world of multiplicities is stationary. Had this not been so, all entities would have become one – all the multiplicities, losing their distinctive individual faculties, would have been reduced to one singularity. Thus the existence 88 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of the manifest world finds its substantiation not in the absolute flow but in the relative flow of movement. It is with the assembling of many individuals that a society comes into being. In a society it is impossible for individuals to move exclusively according to their individual saîskáras [inherent momenta]. Although it may be possible in the subtle and causal spheres, it is not possible in the physical sphere. The totality of various individual flows of movement constitutes collective social movement. Each individual flow is influenced by the collective flow and strives to move ahead in adjustment with it, at least in the mundane sphere. The fact is that an inorganic entity is transformed into an organic being due to physical clash. Further development of that being is a result of both physical and psychic clashes. These clashes come directly from the systolic pause of social forces and indirectly from natural sources. If the resultant cumulative flow of innumerable individuals is termed the social or collective flow, then the latter’s trough and crest is shorter than the trough and crest of the individual flows. And this shortness of the collective wavelength hastens either a kránti [evolution] or a viplava [revolution]. Manifestative movement acquires momentum from its previous state of pause in saîkocer bháva [systolic bearing]. The mildness or severity of the movement depends on both the length of the period of pause and the inherent strength of the structure. A long period of inertness may be termed death only when an old structure is unable to assimilate the vital force of pause. In this case a newer structure becomes necessary for the manifestative movement [from] the state of pause. This new structure may be either a newer form of the old one or an altogether different form. Whenever there is a state of manifestation following a state of inertness, changes are bound to occur within the structure. But that structure can only be THE KÏATRIYA AGE 89 called new when the unit mind or the collective mind cannot perceive the distinct change between the old and new forms. During the previous state of pause, one structure meets with death due to suppression or destruction by another structure. Such deaths occur both in individuals and in society. When a unit or society devours or suppresses another, the necessary assimilation of conflicting waves and the resultant clashes cause its wavelength to become shorter in length, leading to the possibility of structural death. In this process of assimilation, if there is the possibility of vibrational adjustment, the individual and collective structures have a greater chance of acquiring more inherent vitality.

Egyptian Civilization

Take the case of ancient Egyptian civilization. Whether we like all the features of ancient Egyptian civilization or not, it could definitely claim some special characteristics. But the conflict of waves that occurred in its inner body weakened the collective waves of the society as a whole. The various social groups from Asia and the southeast European countries were inherently stronger in their collective waves than the Egyptians themselves, and this led to the destruction of the Egyptian civilization. However, a proper assessment of this historical occurrence will reveal that the ancient Egyptian civilization was not completely destroyed. Although many of the above- mentioned social groups were less saîvedanashiila2 (but had greater physical vitality) than the ancient Egyptian civilization and were therefore able to destroy both the vital force of its civilization and its social structure, they themselves were

2 I.e., had less depth of feeling. The word saîvedana that will recur throughout these pages (adj. saîvedanashiila) may mean “sensation”, “sensibility”, “sensitivity”, “feeling” or “sympathetic response”. Normally “sensibility” will be used here. –Eds. 90 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 influenced by the greater sensibility of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The greatest blow to Egyptian civilization came from the section of Arab society that was imbued with Islamic ideology.3 Due to the influence of these new Arab bhávadhárá [thought-waves], the new Egypt became dissociated, in its thought-waves, from ancient Egypt. Thus modern Egypt has ideologically4 nothing in common with its ancient past. The Arab culture was not only full of vitality, it also had a distinct sensibility of its own. Although the vitality of the Egyptian traditions was destroyed at the time of the Arab invasion, Egypt’s inherent sensibility was not. What remained of Egyptian sensibility was diametrically opposite to the new Arab thought-wave. The Arabs assimilated the antithetical Egyptian sensibility, and as a result the Arab thought-wave was considerably weakened. As a result it became impossible for the Arabs to conquer Europe. This was also one of the main reasons for the retreat of the Iberian Moors.5 One question remains. Since ancient Arab thought-waves and Islamized Arab thought-waves were different from each other, why did the former not destroy the vital force of the latter? Actually, many ancient Arab thought-waves were assimilated into the Islamized Arab thought-waves. Where there were differences, there was tremendous conflict. However, a common ádarsha [ideology] and a common spiritual awareness, both accepted by a large number of people, greatly helped the Islamized Arab ideas to establish themselves over the ancient Arab ideas.

3 Muslims conquered Egypt in the period 639-642. –Eds. 4 Bhávadhárá may sometimes be translated “thought-waves”, sometimes “ideology”. –Eds. 5 The Muslim conquest of Europe began in the middle of the 7th century, but most of their territories had been retaken by the end of the 10th century. The Moors were finally defeated at the end of the 15th century. –Eds.

THE KÏATRIYA AGE 91

Islamized Arab ideas suffered the same set-back in Persia on the east as they did in Egypt on the west. Persian society had its own distinct characteristics and only accepted Islamic thought- waves externally, while its own Persian ideology remained for a long time as a subterranean flow. It remains even today, though only as a thin current. Islamized Arab ideology became weakened as it passed through Persia, and after crossing the Indus Valley and entering India6 it was unable to exert a deep influence on Indian society. But this was secondary as a reason why the Islamized Arabs were unable to defeat India. The most important reason was the strength of India’s social and spiritual ideology and the rationalistic mentality of the Indians themselves. Although the varòáshrama [caste] system was based on idol worship and created deep divisions in the Indian social structure, the greatness of India’s moral, social and spiritual ideology had generated a powerful wave in her collective life. The Islamic social ideology, modified as it was after passing through Persia, was unable to obliterate that wave. That modified Islamic social ideology has lived side by side with the Indian social ideology for centuries, but due to the opposite natures of their waves, the exchange between them has been negligible. Of course Islamic society has had some influence on the external forms of Indian society, but Islam has not had any influence on the mental and spiritual outlook of the Indian people. The Sufi influence on Indian society (an influence particularly on Indian Vaeïòavism) is actually of Persian and not of Islamic origin. The vibrational expression of the Sufi influence is in harmony with Indian thinking and it has therefore supplied vital energy to Indian social life for centuries.

6 Sindh was captured for the first time by the Muslims in 712. However, the first major Muslim invasion of India took place at the end of the 12th century, in 1192, after which the Muslims established their rule in India. –Eds. 92 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Shúdra Society

When the waves of the unit mind try to adjust to the rhythm of materialistic waves without attempting to assimilate them, the unit mind gradually becomes materialistic. If a person’s mind dwells on matter, that mind will naturally be filled with tamoguòii [static] darkness, and the person will be called a shúdra. Those who have a shúdra mentality can collectively be called the shúdra society. Needless to say, such people cannot control anything, because the crudest waves, the waves of matter, control them. When the human race was in an embryonic stage and humans evolved from animal mentality to human mentality, human beings then, as today, found two paths open to them. The first was to become crude by ideating on matter – the path of shúdra-hood; and the second was to overcome material and psychic obstacles by ideating on subtle things – the path of kïatriya-hood. In those days people’s minds were so full of material thoughts, due to living in a hostile natural environment, that at that early stage everyone necessarily possessed a shúdra mentality. Due to mutual self-interest people developed social bonds, but they were unable to build a social structure, and society in those days basically meant only a particular individual’s own body, and the wife, to some extent sons and daughters, and close relatives that contributed to the pleasure of that body. As conjugal relations were based on gratification – on the enjoyer and the object of enjoyment – there was no sense of responsibility or humanity. Today there are shúdras with this propensity scattered throughout the world in all societies. People with a shúdra mentality fall in the same category as all animals that have a strong desire for physical enjoyment. At that time the powerful men, who had a strong desire for physical enjoyment, were polygamous. When such men were THE KÏATRIYA AGE 93 defeated, they were either exiled or killed by stronger men. The little art and literature that existed did not reflect developed sensibilities. It was merely the expression of the greediness of people given to materialistic enjoyment. The people of that shúdra society felt some parental affection for their children due to their physical contact with them, but once their children grew up and clashes of interest typical of the shúdra mentality would come about, they would not maintain the relationship. So although parents had a temporary affection for their children, the children could have no sense of responsibility towards their parents or close relatives. People had no sense of duty towards each other and no social order had evolved. People generally felt uneasy if they came too close to each other. In fact, the shúdra society of that time could not claim to be much better than the present-day society of monkeys or dogs. Frankly stated, shúdras live only for physical enjoyment. They neither bother about ideology nor give any value to rationality. Of the three aspects of time – past, present and future – they think only about the present. They have neither the time nor the inclination to think about the past or the future. Religion, spirituality and a genuine social system have no significance for them. Whatever religion, spirituality or social order we observe in shúdra society results from an unholy alliance between their fearfulness and their self-interest. Intellectually shúdras are as dull as beasts. Whether it is a natural calamity, or the gloomy night, or the joyful dawn, or a burning desert, they have always viewed and continue to view it either with the eyes of fear or with the eyes of escapism. This type of fear psychology elevates different natural phenomena in their eyes to the status of gods. They learn to worship trees, mountains, forests, seas, etc., as gods out of fear and a greater or lesser degree of self-interest, but not due to the inspiration of 94 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 the indivisible Supreme Entity. We can thus conclude that the shúdra social order is based on fear alone. The main sentiment in the shúdra social system is “Let the living live better, and let the dying die quickly. Don’t waste energy trying to save them.” An attitude such as this produces a particular type of selfish social system which, in reality, is neither a society nor a system. Only this much have the shúdras created and can they create. The rudimental idea of shúdra society, like that of merciless nature, is survival of the fittest. Where there is no love and compassion for the weak, there will be no collective effort to preserve their lives. Children will take no responsibility for their elderly parents. So people will remain divided into innumerable groups and somehow pass their time; for them the joy of collective living – the expansiveness of many minds moving together – is nothing but a disquieting dream. Shúdras are always sleeping. They can perform work only if someone wakes them up. Once the work is done, they go back to sleep. In order to maintain the cáturvaròika7 social system, some work will have to be taken from the shúdras. Consciousness should be developed among shúdras in order to protect them from the inhuman greed of the vaeshyas. (All non- vaeshyas slip into shúdra-hood on the eve of a shúdra revolution.8) But is it possible to create genuine awareness in shúdras? It is the kïatriyas who make shúdras work, who

7 Catuh means “four” and varòa means “colour”. (When the adjectival forms of these two are combined, they become cáturvaròika.) In the root sense which the author intends, a varòa is a social class – the word varòa referring to the predominant psychic colour, corresponding to certain psychic characteristics (which are neither hereditary nor fixed within any individual), of each of the four social classes in the social cycle. (The psychic colour of shúdras is said to be black; of kïatriyas, red; of vipras, white; and of vaeshyas, yellow. See also “Mental Colours”.) In orthodox tradition, varòa has been used to mean one of the four main hereditary castes: Shúdras, Kïatriyas, Vipras (Brahmans) and Vaeshyas. –Eds. 8 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds. THE KÏATRIYA AGE 95 temporarily inspire them to revolt. Shúdras are mechanical and do only what they are told – they do only the work they are told to do and no more. There are both honest and dishonest kïatriyas, but the majority of kïatriyas are dishonest. It is often observed that when shúdras are led by kïatriyas they readily support revolution or counter-revolution, like insects attracted to a fire and burnt by the flames. The kïatriyas usually acquire name, fame, wealth and influence by totally cheating the shúdras. To win the minds of the ignorant shúdras they have cheated, the kïatriyas praise them lavishly for their victories. This praise of their hollow victories makes the shúdras forget their defeat. During the post-revolutionary period, the shúdras, instead of thinking about their own interests, believe that the greatest achievement of their lives has been to be the standard-bearers of the deceitful kïatriyas.

Kïatriya Society

If the human mind ideates intensely on pleasure yet does not become subservient to matter but instead controls the waves of matter with its own waves, matter will serve the human mind. Those who through incessant fight have acquired the mental capacity to control matter as they choose, are called kïatriyas. Struggle is the dharma of kïatriyas. They are imbued with indomitable vital force and are not symbolized by the black colour of darkness. They represent spiritedness. Their colour is blood-red. Shúdras are afraid of high mountains. They regard a towering mountain as a god and bow their heads before it. They try to dissuade the kïatriyas from climbing the mountain, saying, “God will become angry. Please do not climb it.” But the kïatriyas go ahead anyway. After reaching the summit they declare that they have conquered the mountain. Through their 96 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 mental waves and their intellect they have turned crude matter into dynamite and have advanced by blowing up the mountain. The nature of kïatriyas is to enslave matter. The collective name of those who have kïatriya propensities is kïatriya society. Kïatriyas spend all their energy controlling matter. They cannot think of or understand anything beyond matter. They protect society by laying down their lives and by taking the lives of others.

How the Kïatriyas Evolved

In the embryonic stage of the human race, those who became the slaves of nature due to circumstantial pressure were the shúdras. But those among them who came in contact with the relatively harsh aspects of nature and made even a small amount of effort to survive by fighting against them, were, in the world of those days, the fathers of the kïatriyas. Later on, those shúdras who made a habit of fighting against nature due to the inspiration of the fathers of the kïatriyas guided – and are still guiding and will continue to guide – the development of kïatriya society. In fact, the seed of human greatness was dormant in the shúdras and germinated in the kïatriyas. Today the superiority that human beings enjoy over all other creatures in the society of living things results from their endeavours to conquer the animate and inanimate worlds; this was first expressed in the minds of the kïatriyas.9 The greatness and paoruïa 10 of the kïatriyas struck the shúdras with wonder. The cowardly and intellectually-

9 For the author’s diagrammatic representation of the first rotation of the social cycle, see Appendix 1, “A Cyclic Representation of the Social Cycle”. –Eds. 10 The Bengali word paoruïa is derived from puruïa (“male”) and has traditionally been translated “manliness”. It implies a powerful personality, vigour, will power and courage. Here it has been translated “powerful personality” or “personal force”. –Eds. THE KÏATRIYA AGE 97 undeveloped shúdras accepted the superiority of the kïatriyas and paid obeisance to their bravery and spiritedness. The kïatriyas used the shúdras as servants in their fight against the inanimate world and ensured their obedience by courageously taking responsibility for their safety and protection. So the shúdras also played a role in the kïatriyas’ conquest of the inanimate world, and their role was not unimportant. But most of the credit goes to the kïatriyas, because whatever the shúdras did, they did under the wings of the kïatriyas.

The Start of the Kïatriya Age

We may call the day the kïatriyas started to protect the shúdras the beginning of the Kïatriya Age in human society, but that age did not come overnight. Numerous fragmented shúdra societies gradually accepted the authority of the kïatriyas and began to unite under their hegemony. In other words, many shúdra societies would unite into a new social system, and in each case one kïatriya would be the symbol of that new system. This acceptance of a kïatriya as the symbol of shúdra unity, which came about through a process of transformation, represents the first kránti [evolutionary step] in human history. Different groups formed, each with a kïatriya as the symbolic head. To maintain the purity of the group’s blood and in order to identify people correctly, brave and spirited women had at an earlier stage been recognized as the group-mothers. All the men and women in a group had been named after that matriarch. As both the mother and the father of a child belonged to the same group, the value of their having separate identities from each other was not felt. When a matriarch died and a new matriarch was elected, or when a group broke into sub-groups, it was only necessary to determine the identity of one’s group-mother. In other words, kïatriya society had 98 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 initially been matriarchal. The group system of the Kïatriya Age was the first stage in the evolution of a social system. During the Kïatriya Age the different groups continually fought among themselves to establish their supremacy; hence in the kïatriya social order, love for one’s group was more evident than in the Shúdra Age. The spiritedness and self- confidence of the kïatriyas inspired people to unite and build a society out of a crude, self-centred consciousness; the consciousness and sentiment of prestige also played an important part. In other words, although the struggle for existence was the main concern, the struggle for prestige was not unimportant. This sentiment, this sense, of prestige greatly inspired people in the Kïatriya Age in the work of conquering the inanimate world, and continues to inspire people even today. The shúdras had fought solely to survive, whereas the kïatriyas fought for their own survival, for the survival of others and for their prestige. The shúdras’ main aim had been to arrange food and security by any means, whereas the kïatriyas’ aim was to conquer with glory. This sentiment enabled the kïatriyas to develop a subtler intellect and awakened their conscience and discriminative judgement. It went against the kïatriyas’ conscience to kill the unarmed, to kill women, children or old people, to kill those who had surrendered, or to kill a retreating enemy. In a word, the kïatriyas’ sense of valour transcended the animal level, and they learned to understand the value of human beings.

The Rise of Patriarchy

It was to a large extent this sense of value that elevated conjugal and domestic life to the human level. Conjugal relations came not to be limited to the enjoyer-and-enjoyed level but to include a sense of duty. As conjugal relations THE KÏATRIYA AGE 99 developed, a father’s sense of duty towards his children also awakened. This led to a reduction in the mothers’ responsibilities to some extent, and as a consequence women became partially dependent on men for their food and clothes, particularly during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth. As a result, although couples belonged to the same group, they began to form into families headed by men. Because families were headed by men, the groups also became male-dominated and the matriarchs lost the power they had previously enjoyed. In olden times kïatriya societies began to recognize a man and a woman as husband and wife, although the bonds of such relationships were not strong. As the society became patriarchal, even in the latter half of the Kïatriya Age men kept many wives as they had in the Shúdra Age. The only difference between the polygamies of the two eras was that wives in the Shúdra Age had no social ties to their husbands, whereas the ties between the husbands and wives in the latter half of the Kïatriya Age were socially recognized. Although the social system which was formed in the first half of the Kïatriya Age was to some extent strengthened in the latter half, the stability of both conjugal and group relations in the latter half depended more on the physical abilities and bravery of the group-father, or patriarch, and other males than on genuine humanism or a sense of discipline. The maxim of the Kïatriya Age was “Might makes right.” Human beings are creatures of sensibility. A sense of responsibility, as well as love and affection, having already awakened in parents for their children, in the latter half of the Kïatriya Age a sense of responsibility also started to awaken in children towards their parents. Duty-conscious children were careful to maintain the traditions and proclaim the heroism of their fathers, and fathers also wanted their children to inherit their heroic qualities, powerful personalities and traditions. 100 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Thus, as the relationship between fathers and their children was strengthened, society was also strengthened. In order to properly maintain the heroism and traditions of the family, great importance was given to the careful selection of brides and grooms at the time of marriage. As a result, in the Kïatriya Age socially-recognized conjugal relations gradually evolved, replacing unrecognized relationships.

Phallus Worship

There is no doubt that the culture of the kïatriyas – their music, dance and art – reflected their sensibilities. The art of the kïatriyas depicted their tremendous efforts to conquer the world and not their enjoyment of material pleasure. These warlike people gave great importance to increasing their numbers so that they could fight against their enemies. That is why the courageous but uncultured kïatriyas of ancient times invented linga or phallus worship as a symbol for the increase of their numerical strength. This mentality of the kïatriyas can be found in the Mayan civilization of America and the Dravidian civilization of India as well as in particular types of Tantric ritual. No matter how phallus-and-vulva worship be philosophically explained today, it essentially expresses the ancient kïatriya desire to increase their population. The patriarch, or gaòapati (gaòesha), of a kïatriya society was worshipped in those days as a god, and in this worship the head of an elephant, recognized as the greatest animal, would be used as the head of the idol. And in fact this gaòapati or gaòesha [group leader] figure, after undergoing certain philosophical explanations in those ancient times, evolved into the god Gaòesha. Even though society is now vaeshya- dominated, both linga and Gaòapati are still commonly worshipped. Many people do not understand or deliberately try THE KÏATRIYA AGE 101 to forget that what underlies this form of worship is the primitive social outlook of the kïatriyas. Today some philosophers may say, Yasmin sarváòi liiyante talliuôgam, or Liuôgate gamyate yasmád talliuôgam – that is, “The entity in which everything merges is called liuôga,” [or “The entity from which everything originates (and towards which everything is moving) is called liuôga”]. In other words, “worship of the linga means worship of Supreme Consciousness.” This interpretation is unacceptable, and the best proof that this is so is that Supreme Consciousness cannot be contained in any receptacle, whereas the physical linga does serve well as a symbol of numerical growth. Gaòapati was also gradually transformed into a scriptural deity. The authors of the puráòas [mythological stories] traced the ancestry of Gaòapati and claimed that he was the son of the god Shiva, in whose name the philosophically-interpreted phallus worship was practised. An attempt was also made in scripture to synthesize these two ideas with each other. Thus the sensibilities of the ancient kïatriyas were dyed the colour of the intellect of the vipras and accepted in a new way.

The Heroism of the Kïatriyas

We could not say of kïatriyas that they live only for physical enjoyment. Physical enjoyment and following an ideology are equally important to them; sometimes the one may be a little more important, sometimes the other. Throughout both the ancient and modern history of the human race, we observe that people with a kïatriya nature went to their deaths gladly, or thrust their necks into a noose, or bared their chests to bullets, or, rather than face the humiliation of total defeat, shot themselves in an attempt to escape probable indignities. People with a shúdra mentality do not come in the reckoning, but those with a kïatriya mentality, 102 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 particularly those with an extremely kïatriya mentality, cannot stay out of the public eye. Willingly or unwillingly, they inevitably come into the limelight. The heroic victories of the kïatriyas were celebrated in the Vedic and Mahábhárata Ages 11 and in ancient Greek and Egyptian times, and continue to be celebrated in both developed and undeveloped societies today. The admirers of different kïatriyas have told their tales, while those who have strongly opposed them on principle have nevertheless had to applaud their gallantry and heroism. Even the people of England praise the bravery of Napoleon Bonaparte. Even the people of France recognize the powerful personality of Hitler. Even the conservatives in Indian politics cannot deny the heroism of Prafulla Chaki, Khudiram, Rashbehari and Subhash.12 It is only in the case of those who live for physical enjoyment alone that there will be a clash of self-interests. Only they are unable to establish any superiority over the common crowd. There are tens of millions of people in the world who live only for physical enjoyment. They are born; they eat; they preserve their lineage; they bring up their children to further their own interests; they look upon everything as objects of gratification; and they turn to others out of greed. Their past is dark and so is their future, and they block out the light of the present with the blackness of their petty selfishness. These are the shúdras. They live and die unnoticed, and unnoticed they carry about the burdens of their lives. Their birth, life and death mean nothing to the collective being of humanity. They cannot

11 The Vedic Age lasted from about 15,000 to 2,200 years ago; the Mahábhárata Age from about 3,500 to 2,500 years ago. –Eds. 12 I.e., Khudiram Bose, Rashbehari Bose and Subhash Chandra Bose. All were great revolutionary leaders. –Eds.

THE KÏATRIYA AGE 103 create any vibration in the human race through their actions, nor can they arouse sleeping humanity with a thunderous voice. No doubt they live in the world, but they are incapable of leaving any trace in its heart. But kïatriyas are indeed capable of such actions. Their lives, whether they occupy a long span or a short span of human history, do create a stir in the world. By fathoming that stir, one will know which kïatriya it was that came on earth, and when. That is why kïatriyas are regarded as gods by the shúdras, who live only for physical enjoyment. And that is why the Kïatriya Age, accompanying a social kránti, was easily established in the ancient world. Time has three divisions: past, present and future. Kïatriyas only think about the past and the present. They do not worry about the future. Ignoring future consequences and inspired by their ideology, they jump into the licking flames of a fire, leap from the top of a lofty mountain and take off in their rockets to explore planets and satellites. They want to conquer, to be conquerors, and not merely to live. Kïatriyas also think about the past. They do not like to forget their traditions. The inspiration of the past helps them to determine the speed of their movement into the future. They get inspired by the annals of bravery of their ancestors or group. They seek revenge against the enemies of their forefathers. It is not possible for them to decide on their course of action without first analysing the significant and insignificant events of the past.

Religion and Spirituality

Whatever the real meaning of dharma may be, kïatriyas have a certain magnanimity of mind and a certain dharmácaraòa [spiritual way of life] based on that magnanimity. They pray to their imaginary gods for a son, a wife, riches, name and fame, 104 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 to Rudra [the god of death] for fierceness and to Caòìa Shakti [the goddess of power] for ruthlessness, and they also beseech universal Prakrti [the Supreme Operative Principle], saying, “Give me beauty, give me victory, give me fame, and give me the strength to vanquish my enemies.” They want such things from their imaginary gods not only for themselves but also for those under their protection. However, they want to keep to themselves the right to distribute these things. In fact, what spirituality the kïatriyas have is not free from the influence of matter. Their spirituality is actually limited to the effort to acquire material things or the effort to conquer matter. It is not easy for their intellect to understand the meaning of spirituality, that is, spiritual progress. The high standard which is necessary for the struggle involved in spiritual sadhana is absent to some extent in most kïatriyas because their minds are extremely restless.

The Social Structure

Society means a group of people moving together. For the kïatriyas, who thrive on struggle, there is an undeniable need for unity and a need to form a group. Not only must they form a group, they must also maintain a high standard of discipline within that group. It is through the formation of groups and the maintenance of discipline that society is established. So without the assistance of kïatriyas, a society cannot be created. To maintain society an administration is necessary, and to maintain the administration a system of government is necessary. No one would submit to the administration of a shúdra. The kïatriyas introduced the first administrative system through brute force. The shúdras and the weak kïatriyas submitted to the brute force of the stronger kïatriyas and accepted the latters’ patriarch as king. Under the THE KÏATRIYA AGE 105 administration of this king, a social and governmental structure began to form. The kïatriya social system emphasized a sense of discipline. The kïatriya administration had little concern for what the common people thought about that discipline or whether they were practically benefited by it. The selection of the kïatriya leader was based on physical might, strength of arms and mental strength. Naturally, after the death of a leader, either one of his sons, or that man from one of the groups under his protection who had the greatest number of similar qualities, was accepted as the next kïatriya leader. In the course of time the age of the kïátra-pitá or sarddár [kïatriya leader] was replaced by the age of the monarchy. This transformation took place mainly for the sake of maintaining discipline. After the death of a kïatriya leader, there would be a violent struggle for power among his sons and among the youths of the groups under his protection. By the time this struggle was finally over and a new kïatriya leader was selected, everything in the group was topsy-turvy, or the group had become fragmented into many smaller groups. A greater sense of discipline was obviously needed to save the group from such disorder or fragmentation. So to avoid internal conflicts, the custom of appointing the son, particularly the eldest son, of the kïatriya leader as the leader’s successor, was introduced in most of the kïatriya groups. Once this became the system, it may be said that monarchy had become established in kïatriya society. The kings of those days were generally not kings in the sense that we use the word today. Because a kingdom was acquired through heredity, that is, because the system of selecting the kïatriya king or leader was not based on physical might, strength of arms and mental strength, a king had to some extent to cater to public opinion. How much he had to cater depended 106 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 upon the degree of unity, the level of discrimination and the standard of intelligence of the local people. For example, in most parts of India, when the king made out a deed on támralipi [copper sheets used like writing paper], he would write the following command to his subjects: “You shall accept this deed of gift.” But in Bengal, in such deeds, the king would write the following request: “Please approve of this deed of gift.” This example shows that the kings of Bengal tried to take into account the will of their subjects; they did not act as dictators. Once the system of monarchy was established among the kïatriyas, the work of building society advanced under its sheltering wing. A strong social structure could not be formed where a monarchy had evolved relatively late or where a democracy or republic had been established after a short period of monarchy. Due to a lack of strong state control in those countries where repeated coup d’états took place or where the reigns of the kings were very short, a firm social system could not be built, nor could a proper sense of discipline be awakened in the people. Of course by “the reigns of the kings” here I mean the administrations of the kïatriya leaders. Their long-term dictatorial administrations amounted for this purpose to the same things as long-lasting monarchies. (The sense of discipline in kïatriyas is the same as that in soldiers. It means that whether one likes it or not, one has to abide by certain rules and regulations lest the defences be breached.) After the French Revolution, no French government had the opportunity to govern for a long time. So although the common people in post-revolutionary France came to suffer less exploitation by the king [i.e., emperor] and less abuse of THE KÏATRIYA AGE 107 government power, the big harm done was the lack of a firm, well-knit social structure.13 In the United States of America, the world-famous democracy, a social system and social discipline are largely lacking, although there is no dearth of social education, nor the least lack of a spirit of social service or a sense of unity among the general public. If those who are devoid of spirituality are not controlled by the authority of the government or some other group, it will not be possible for them to properly follow discipline. In some countries in ancient times, a social system meant the caste system. But even the caste or varòáshrama system could not be built in a firm way in those parts of those countries where the state or governmental system was weak. As of the onset of Islamic rule, a strong varòáshrama system had never been created in East Bengal [now Bangladesh] or in some other parts of eastern India, 14 due to the weakness of the state administration.

Kïatriya Mentality

In kïatriya society people do not follow religion or develop a sense of discipline out of what we would call a fear complex, exactly, but a strong desire for self-preservation certainly plays a part. Although unholy alliances based on self-interest exist among groups of kïatriyas, such alliances do not exhibit the base mentality of the shúdras.

13 France was socially and politically unstable for at least 70 years after the French Revolution, which occurred from 1789 to 1799. Although the monarchy was abolished in 1792, the reign of the last emperor ended in 1870. –Eds. 14 Islamic rule in eastern India began in the middle of the 14th century. East Bengal was formed in 1947 as a result of the partition of Bengal, and in 1955 it was renamed East Pakistan. –Eds.

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Were the kïatriyas intellectually superior or inferior to animals? An animal knows how to meet its physical needs; it enjoys crude pleasures and has a sense of responsibility towards its children and to some extent towards its mate. But if we analyse the way in which kïatriyas are prepared to protect others, sacrifice for an ideology, or give up their most precious possession, their lives, for the sake of honour or for some other reason, it becomes clear that they are far more developed mentally than animals. In fact, it is the life of shúdra society that is only a little more developed than that of animals. Kïatriyas’ lives are more developed, their minds more fully expressed. A close scrutiny will lead us to the conclusion that the physical clash of animal life resulted in the creation of shúdra life, and the physical clash of the shúdras, together with the struggles of their underdeveloped minds (mental clash), created the minds of the kïatriyas.

Factors in the Evolution of the Kïatriyas

The warlike kïatriyas regarded nature as the collective embodiment of different forces. To their limited understanding this idea of a synthesis of forces did not appear to be impossible, but to think more deeply than this was beyond their capacity. An outlook of enjoyment caused their minds, through physical clash, to move sometimes towards crudity in a process of analysis, and sometimes towards subtlety in a process of synthesis. The Brahmaváda [spiritual philosophy based on Brahma] of the Upanishads was the remarkable historical culmination of this synthetic process. The idea that the polytheism of shúdra society might rest upon monotheism first originated as a vague idea in the minds of the kïatriyas, and that is why it is said that the propounders of Brahmaváda were kïatriyas. THE KÏATRIYA AGE 109

(King Janaka of India was said to be the preceptor of Brahmaváda, thus establishing the kïatriya origin of Brahmaváda. But as every student of history knows, no king by the name Janaka ever lived in India. “Janaka” was simply a common title used by many kings. Those admired by the common people for their erudition – such looked-up-to individuals – were also known by this name. Nevertheless, the kïatriya authorship of the Vedas was not an ordinary or insignificant achievement. I have already said that this authorship was the culmination of a remarkable historical process, the like of which is extremely rare. And it took place among the kïatriyas.) A subtle analysis therefore reveals that the kïatriya spirituality stemmed from their desire to attain more and more and to express themselves to the maximum extent. Where ideas are of secondary importance, the factor of gain or greed comes to be primary. The kïatriyas’ hope of probable eventual gain, born out of their greed, later helped the vipras to achieve absolute power. The kïatriyas ultimately had to sell their physical brawn to the absolute authority of the vipras. In the kïatriya social system the saying “Live and let live” is not as important as the saying “Live with dignity”. It is as if within the social structure the kïatriya mind tries to express the sentiment: “A person of honour, like the petals of a flower, will try to shine above all others or will fall in a storm. It is not the nature of petals to live beneath others.” One who is afraid of various types of force cannot comprehend the truth that underlies this diversity, but one who struggles gradually learns to recognize the nature of diversity and has the opportunity to reach a state of dynamic equilibrium.15

15 As mentioned at the beginning of this section, “The warlike kïatriyas regarded nature as the collective embodiment of different forces.” See also “The Vipra Age”, the sections on Religious Characteristics and Vipra Mentality. –Eds. 110 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

We do not have to waste words to convince people that in the life of a fighting group discipline is extremely important. There cannot be any doubt that in kïatriya society, whether it is a genuine society or not, there must be a well-knit system. Under this system the chariot of exploitation may run over the weak without slowing down, the hunger of millions of people may provide opportunities for one person to live in great luxury, and a relationship of exploiter and exploited may be established among people instead of fraternal relationships, but it is still a system. Regardless of its merits and demerits, it is the nature of kïatriyas to try to perpetuate the system they are living under. But kïatriya society has a sensibility which is not like that of merciless nature. What stands out most is hero worship. The weak submit to the leadership of the strong, and the strong protect the weak in exchange for their submission. That is why, in the kïatriya social system, it is considered a virtue to save those who are distressed and seek protection; and this type of dutifulness is recognized as an important mental outlook in the life of society. For this reason alone and not for any other reason, parents will be looked after and protected when they become incapable of looking after themselves due to senility or physical infirmity. In kïatriya society people are divided as a matter of course into innumerable groups which fight incessantly among themselves, but an unquenchable thirst for victory makes life somewhat like a game of chess, and the call to do battle and to display a powerful personality also gives meaning to life. Thus it is not the tendency of kïatriyas to carry the burden of all life’s disappointments. Kïatriyas enjoy the delights of collective living more than shúdras, because the collective sentiment that inspires fighting people to stick together in weal and woe makes even pain, since it is collective, sweet.

THE KÏATRIYA AGE 111

The Rise of the Vipras

Kïatriyas are always awake, but it can hardly be said that their eyes are always wide open to the light. Those who are already awake may not need to be awakened, but if they do not know which way to look, then they need to be shown which way to look. Kïatriyas want to dash forward with an all-conquering attitude, but without distinguishing between darkness and light. In darkness, failing to ascertain the strength of their opponents, they challenge them to fight, and as a result they often leave the world prematurely, mauled and mangled. The history of the kïatriyas is painted with blood, but not illumined with intelligence. They display powerful personalities, spiritedness and courage, but no far-sightedness or wisdom, nor the support of subtle intellect. Therefore, after the Kïatriya Age had lasted for some time, intellectuals began to control the kïatriyas with their keen intellect. Those with intellect encouraged the kïatriyas to look in directions where they had not looked before, and repeatedly explained to them things they had never understood. After this state of affairs had continued for some time, the kïatriyas began to submit to the intellectuals and, recognizing their superiority, began to use their forceful personalities to carry out the intellectuals’ instructions. The intellectuals gradually wrested the right to lead society from the kïatriyas and maintained their supremacy in society with the help of kïatriya power. Although the kïatriyas remained alert, once they submitted to the intellectuals, to the vipras, the Kïatriya Age ended. The vipras compiled the puráòas and wrote the glorious history of the kïatriyas. Right in that history they made it clear that it was the dharma of the powerful kïatriyas to worship the vipras. Those powerful kïatriyas could not see through this 112 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 strategy. In simple faith they submitted to the intelligent, shrewd and deceitful vipras. An examination of history reveals that the cáturvaròika social system existed throughout the world and that it has continued and is still continuing according to a special type of parikránti [peripheric evolution] of the samája cakra [social cycle]. The most amusing part about it is that when the Kïatriya Age evolved out of the unsystematic Shúdra Age, the shúdras considered the Kïatriya Age a great blessing. The shúdras could not envisage the kïatriyas as exploiters or possible exploiters. Similarly, when the kïatriyas sold all their strength to the intellectual vipras, the kïatriyas did not realize that it had been sold and that they were gradually being bound in chains like slaves. Still later, when the vipras sold themselves to the money of the vaeshyas – when Sarasvatii [the goddess of knowledge] became the slave of Lakïmii [the goddess of wealth] – the vipras at first did not realize that their value was going to be measured in financial terms. The intellectual exploitation of the vipras reduced the kïatriyas to the level of powerful animals, and the cunning minds of the vipras started to control the strength of the kïatriyas. When we read in history the accounts of the great kings, it appears as though all these events belonged to the Kïatriya Age. But was that really the situation? A somewhat deeper analysis shows that nearly all the kings were at the beck and call of their vipra ministers. In almost every country we observe the hard fact that even the most powerful and mighty kings were mere puppets in the hands of their vipra ministers. In fact, it is not totally incorrect to say that the history of the monarchy was the history of the “minister-archy”. Vipra ministers protected the common people from the whims of the undisciplined kïatriya monarchy and from the militaristic discipline of the kïatriyas, and introduced into society a THE KÏATRIYA AGE 113 discipline that was supported to some extent by the common people. A disciplined kingdom therefore really meant the subordination of the power of the monarch to the vipras. The contribution of Aniruddha Bhatta to the social system evolved by Ballal [Sen] cannot be denied; the wisdom of Purandar Khan was the guiding influence behind the peace and order in the kingdom ruled by Hussain Shah; and Chandragupta was merely a puppet in the hands of Chanakya.16 Once the kïatriyas submitted to the vipras, the vipras, with their sharp intellect, tried to construct a well-knit social system. Though they recognized the king as the supreme head of government, so far as the social system was concerned, they declared the king to be the servant of the vipras. They did not grant him the right to interfere in religious matters, because it was through the religious structure that they found an opportunity to establish themselves. So the kïatriya kings became the “defenders of religion” and the “servants of the vipras” in the social system created by the vipras. Once the common people had become part of the social system created by the vipras, if it became apparent that a king wanted to free himself from the vipras’ domination, the vipras would use their intellectual power to summon up the support of the masses and, after humbling the proud king, would install a new king on the throne. Thereby the vipras secured their own rule. The efforts of aware kïatriyas to free themselves from the influence of the vipras can be called kïatriya vikránti [counter- evolution] or kïatriya prativiplava [counter-revolution]. There are more dishonest vipras than dishonest kïatriyas. So most of the intellectual capabilities of the vipras are employed in appropriating a share of the hard-earned wealth of others. Kïatriyas use the shúdras as tools, and vipras use their subtlety

16 Ballal Sen reigned from 1160 to 1179; Hussain Shah from 1494 to 1519; and Chandragupta from 321 to 297 BCE. –Eds. 114 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 to neutralize or to activate the vital energy of the kïatriyas, according to their own wishes. Hence when the Vipra Age began at the end of the Kïatriya Age, and the kïatriyas lay their weapons with complete trust at the feet of the vipras, they did not realize that they had sold themselves to cheats. The illusion of escaping the misfortunes of this life, and going to heaven in the next, clouded their simple minds. All the special qualities, the merits and demerits, congruities and incongruities of the kïatriyas’ mentality were at the fingertips of the vipras, so the vipras achieved their objectives by exploiting the weaknesses of the kïatriyas, giving condescending encouragement to their simplicity. Employing the kïatriyas’ own resources of vital energy to suck dry their vitality, the vipras found the opportunity to gratify their own desires. The vipras’ power of mind and power of speech are much subtler than the physical brawn of the kïatriyas, so the vipras did not have any particular difficulty in turning the kïatriya occupation into a form of slavery through pressure of circumstances. Those who establish themselves in society through a display of physical strength will certainly be proud of their strength. The vipras used their intelligence to exploit this weakness-born-of-strength of the kïatriyas. By praising the strength of the kïatriyas, the vipras destroyed what little intellect they had and gained control of their strength. Just as a small mahout can control an unruly elephant, the vipras controlled the kïatriyas through an understanding of their inner weakness: the pride they had in their strength. The crown on the head of the kïatriyas considered itself fortunate to be used as a footstool under the feet of the vipras.

1963, Jamalpur From Human Society Part 2

THE VIPRA AGE

The intellect of intelligent people can penetrate where the rays of the sun cannot. Such people want to enjoy matter without being subservient to it. In other words, they want to control matter with their mental waves. It is not only kïatriyas who do this, but vipras as well. The fundamental difference between kïatriya-hood and vipra-hood is that the ego of the kïatriyas draws objects of enjoyment to itself through a physical struggle with all opposing forces, while the ego of the vipras or their desire for enjoyment draws matter to itself either by the physical force of others through physical clash, or directly through psychic clash but avoiding physical clash, or through physical or psychic clash or both according to the demands of the situation. The salient feature of vipra life is that they enjoy the glory of victory and avoid the ignominy of defeat, and that in their personal lives they satisfy their desires for enjoyment without taking great risks. Like kïatriyas, vipras are constantly engaged in fighting, but their fight takes place on the battleground of the intellect. Thus vipras are intellectuals. They do not use their intellectual development only to accumulate material wealth; they also surpass all others in their capacity to accumulate subtle psychic wealth. Their intellectual endowment and intuitional longing are especially helpful in awakening agryábuddhi [pinnacled intellect]. And although there is no ideological difference between pleasure-seeking vipras and kïatriyas in terms of psychic dynamism, those vipras who develop a pinnacled intellect are very different from kïatriyas. The awakening of the pinnacled intellect, together with the momentum of that intellect, enables it to reach almost the 116 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 highest stance of subtlety, so its movement is in a straight line. Its momentum has speed and moves in all directions. It contains within itself all the varòas [mental colours], which is why vipras are the embodiment of whiteness – their colour is white. As they express themselves less through their motor organs than do kïatriyas, blood-red, the symbol of spiritedness, cannot be their colour. But how many white vipras are there, who try to develop a pinnacled intellect? Most vipras are busy accumulating objects of enjoyment with the help of the physical strength of others, like parasites. In this chapter, when I use the term vipra, I mean this inferior type of vipra. I will talk later about the superior white vipras, or sadvipras, who try to develop a pinnacled intellect.1

Vipra Society

Vipras make use of the back-breaking labour of the shúdras and the powerful personalities of the kïatriyas to achieve their objectives. Shúdras help build society with their physical labour and kïatriyas help with their powerful personalities. Enticing them both, the vipras exact the physical labour of the shúdras and acquire the personal force of the kïatriyas. If they see a towering mountain blocking the path of social progress, vipras do not sit back in despair or worship the obstacle as a god (or worship a particular disease as a goddess2) – in a way worshipping their own helplessness – like the shúdras; neither do they leap fearlessly into the ocean of action like the kïatriyas. They use their intellects to plan victory over their enemies; the kïatriyas and shúdras translate these plans into

1 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds. 2 In some parts of the world, certain diseases are thought to result from the curse of a particular goddess who is then worshipped to effect a cure. –Eds.

THE VIPRA AGE 117 action at the cost of their lives. The vipras march to the fore over the kïatriyas’ and shúdras’ dead bodies and proclaim to the world, “Look at what I did. Just see how I won victory.” The pages of history are full of examples of the indirect struggles of the vipras. The characteristic similarities and differences between kïatriyas and vipras are clearly evident in every aspect of life. Kïatriyas and vipras are identified not by their similarities but by their differences. The most important difference is that kïatriyas try to enslave matter directly by fighting with it, whereas vipras, using their intellects, try to enslave the kïatriyas (who can then triumph over matter). The path of the kïatriyas is straightforward – there is no scope for duplicity; the path of the vipras is crooked from beginning to end – there is no scope for simplicity. Whatever simplicity vipras exhibit is merely a veneer to hide their crookedness. A body of people with a vipra mentality is called vipra society. It should be kept in mind that words such as shúdra, kïatriya and vipra have no connection with the varòáshrama [caste] system of ancient Hindu society. However, it is a fact that those who became vipras by virtue of their intellect declared that the vipras were a hereditary caste in order to perpetuate their own authority in society. They showed the kïatriyas, whom they had defeated and who had submitted to them, a little mercy by giving them a social position just under themselves. (Actually this was not done out of mercy but so they could put them to work in the future.)

Intellectual Exploitation

Vipras use all their abilities for intellectual exploitation. They try to gain prestige in society and maintain that prestige by composing mythological stories which play on the weaknesses of the human mind; by preaching the divine power 118 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of certain gods and goddesses under certain circumstances; by convincing people of the vipras’ social superiority; and by injecting the confusion of religion even into spirituality. They spend most of the mental resources of their precious lives scheming to gain prestige and plotting to maintain it. If one reads the scriptures of any religious community, one will find ample examples of this. Even if one undergoes austerities, practises ritualistic fasting, undertakes pilgrimages, bathes in holy rivers and springs, worships a sacred fire or studies the scriptures, one will not be blessed unless one also offers sacerdotal fees to the vipras. Only the vipras are authorized to recite even ordinary páncálii [long folk poems] about laokik gods and goddesses3 – and needless to say, a vipra would never visit anybody to recite such poems without remuneration. Occasionally even sinful, antisocial elements are led to believe that if they frankly confess their sins to a vipra, the vipra through his special efforts will obtain a dispensation saving them from the consequences of their sins; every intelligent person knows that a vipra will never act as an agent of God without some remuneration. Just see the way sins are condoned! Even so, vipras have more capacities than kïatriyas. A kïatriya seeks happiness only through physical enjoyment, but a vipra is capable of some mental enjoyment as well, however little it may be. Disasters occur when there is a lack of balance between people’s physical and intellectual efforts. If the reins of society are in the hands of people who suffer from such imbalances, society as a whole will suffer the consequences of those disasters.

3 I.e., they were accorded some religious status, but their names do not figure in either the Vedas or the Tantras. Laokik implies something created relatively recently out of popular sentiment. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 119

The amount of intellectual labour performed by shúdras is negligible compared to their physical labour. Although the intellectual labour of kïatriyas is not completely meaningless, it does not have much practical value. Even if a vipra administration does not itself create disasters, it will not be able to prevent them from occurring for long. What happens with the vipras is that [intellect] is given a higher valuation than the application of physical force. Thus under a vipra administration others work to enhance the vipras’ prestige and to maintain the vipras’ standard of living, while the vipras use their intellect to live an unbalanced life and to suck the vitality of others, like parasites. Where there is more physical clash in life, physical force will increase faster than intellect or the expression of intellect, and likewise, where there is much psychic clash, there will be only the expression of intellect, coupled with a gradual but eventually severe increase in physical indolence. From a psychological point of view, people dominated by intellect in this way gradually become more and more atrophied, so that whatever magnanimity exists at the beginning of the Vipra Age is lost by the end of the age. The end result of this lack of magnanimity is that the vaeshyas become dominant in society. At the beginning of the Vipra Age the vipras provide advice about how to protect society as well as how to exploit it; they also take advice from others about how to protect and exploit it. But by the end of the Vipra Age the vipras only give advice but no longer accept it, and the advice they give concerns only how to exploit.

How the Vipras Evolve

In the Kïatriya Age, those who were defeated by physical force and military strength resorted to intellectual stratagems in an effort to win victory. The psychic clash they experienced in 120 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 their long, drawn-out struggle for victory developed their intellects. The original fathers of the vipras were those who first used their intellects to exploit the strength of the strong.4 Kïatriyas, shúdras and relatively-undeveloped vipras came to be exploited by the fathers of the vipras, whom they recognized as their gotra [clan] leaders (or patriarchs), or recognized as founders of a pravar [lineage]. In some countries this gotra-pravar system still exists. Kïatriyas who developed vipra intellectual abilities due to psychic clash while under vipra intellectual guidance were responsible for the continuation of vipra dominance. Actually, just as those shúdras who had been influenced by kïatriyas had perpetuated kïatriya society, it was those kïatriyas who had been influenced by vipras who perpetuated vipra society. We see from the past that when, in a natural process, social dominance passed out of the hands of the kïatriyas and into those of the vipras, though still within the kïatriya succession, the main reason was that at that time most kïatriyas were kïatriyas in name only, but were actually shúdras. Similarly, at the time the vipras fell from authority, though the vipra succession went on, it could be observed that those who were vipras in name only outnumbered the vipras themselves, that is, the genuine intellectuals. Why did this occur?

The Social Cycle and the Right of Inheritance

The rule of the social cycle is that the Shúdra Age is followed by the Kïatriya Age, the Kïatriya Age is followed by the Vipra Age, and the Vipra Age is followed by the Vaeshya Age, which is followed by social revolution. This kind of social rotation is the inexorable law of nature.

4 See also the section Kïatriya Prestige and the Evolution of the Vipras. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 121

Even during the period of their dominance, kïatriyas and vipras both understood (at least) that as nothing in the world stays the same forever, their dominance as well would one day come to an end, and that too due to their unworthiness. For this reason they extolled the right of inheritance and attached greater importance to it than to individual capacity – so that regardless of his ability, the son of a king would become a king and wear the laurels of kïatriya victory, and however foolish or stupid, the heir of a vipra would be respected by society and enjoy the privileges of a vipra. Subsequently the same thing occurred in vaeshya society. It can be observed that in the Kïatriya Age power gradually passes into the hands of non-kïatriyas who are kïatriyas in name only, and in the Vipra Age power passes into the hands of non-vipras who are vipras in name only, all in the name of hereditary rights. But it is impossible for such unworthy people to maintain their hold on power. Under such circumstances power passes out of the hands of the kïatriyas and into the hands of the vipras, and later passes again from the hands of the vipras to the hands of the vaeshyas; and when the dominance of the oppressive vaeshyas becomes intolerable the common people revolt, thus starting a new chapter in the social cycle.

Satanic Vipras

The development of human society that comes in the wake of the lustrous vitality of the kïatriyas becomes somewhat subdued among the vipras. That vitality gradually surrenders to intellectuality. The strength and sincerity demonstrated in the practical sphere by the kïatriyas in their efforts to conquer matter and consciousness is not matched by the vipras. Vipras certainly do use their intellect to try to acquaint themselves with consciousness, but they do not try to conquer matter 122 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 through the application of their own physical strength – that also they try to do using intellect as their capital. Through their intellect they use the strength of the kïatriyas to conquer matter. At the slightest sign from the vipras, major wars break out in different countries and states. The vipras themselves do not fight. By whispering of war in the ears of the king, they send kïatriya generals into battle. Kïatriya soldiers, running the risks for the vipras, wage war on land, on sea and in the air, and the vipras, understanding their physical and mental weaknesses, entice them with food or money, or inspire them with hollow, idealistic-sounding slogans, and land them in a holocaust. Thus in the Vipra Age kïatriyas fight and die while shrewd vipra ministers receive triumphant ovations. This happens in every country where vipras play a dominant role. The names of vipra ministers are blazoned across the pages of history, but history does not record the numbers of soldiers who died on the battlefield or how many of them saw their golden dreams fade into darkness under cannon fire. When a vipra minister dies, the newspapers write it up elaborately. Condolence meetings are held; condolence messages come in by the thousands; flags are flown at half- mast; and marble statues are erected at intersections in public parks. But the press will never acknowledge the kïatriyas whose blood enriched the ground for the harvest of victory. And actually, why should they? How can so many names be published in a newspaper anyway! All the great warmongers, the great politicians of the world, belong to this vipra gang of satanic intellect. At their command, or due to their fiery lectures or diplomatic intrigues, millions of foolish shúdras have lost their lives and thousands of hot-blooded kïatriyas have served as instruments in the slaughter. THE VIPRA AGE 123

The pages of world history reveal that all the crusades and jihads of the Middle Ages were plotted by these satanic vipras. Caught in their intrigues, the shúdras took the beatings; and the kïatriyas fought as religious warriors, but never thought deeply about whom they were fighting for. Was it only in the Middle Ages that this happened? In today’s world also, satanic vipras, the protected agents of the capitalist vaeshyas, have led and are continuing to lead millions of people along the path of death and destruction. Evil vipras are fanning the flames of the vaeshyas’ insatiable, demonic hunger. Neither the shúdra masses nor the warlike kïatriyas are responsible for the problem of the millions of refugees in different countries, for the heart-rending cries of the mothers, wives, sons and daughters of the soldiers who died on the battlefields, for the blazing flames of communal5 riots, for communalism itself, provincialism, nationalism and casteism. The responsibility lies with a small group of shrewd vipras who, out of petty self-interest, have instigated the shúdras and kïatriyas to commit heinous acts. The meanness and brutality of such vipras put on a ghoulish graveyard dance, seeming to make a mockery of the vipras’ intellect. In the Vipra Age the vipras drew power from this type of brutality, and through a staged display of black magic, vipras bestrode society. In the Vaeshya Age the vipras commit similar sins in order to shine like fancy shoes on the feet of the vaeshyas. Have vipras only exploited others? Although they have done more to exploit others than to serve them, and although their service was motivated by the desire to exploit, the list of those services has been considerable. The kïatriyas conquered the physical world through fight, whereas the vipras wormed their

5 “Community” and “communal” as used here generally refer to religious communities. –Eds.

124 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 intellect into the wealth won by the kïatriyas. Whereas the kïatriyas’ intellect was only capable of obtaining objects, the vipras’ intellect in the Vipra Age was able to devour them. But even in the vipras’ action of devouring, there is one speciality, and that is, although they demarcated everyone’s field of activity, they allowed people the scope to express themselves within that demarcated area. Even though the vipras exploited and enslaved the kïatriyas, they did not curb their martial nature or deny them the opportunity to display their heroism. And although they were reluctant to recognize the shúdras as human beings, they nevertheless allowed them an opportunity to survive. In the history of human progress and of the effort to establish human superiority over matter, we would be overlooking an important fact if we failed to mention this speciality of the Vipra Age.

The Idea of Supernatural Phenomena

The vipras were successful due to their intelligence. They not only defeated the kïatriyas in intellectual battles but also filled them with awe. Whatever primitive human weaknesses the kïatriyas were unable to overcome, the vipras would take advantage of to exploit them and the rest of society – that is, the shúdras – and this goes on even today. Whenever they would intellectually defeat the ordinary people, the vipras would cleverly introduce the idea of supernatural phenomena in order to achieve their objectives. In reply to the question, “Where do people go after they die?” undeveloped people had themselves developed the concept of ghosts as the answer. Any frightful or distressing events of the everyday world that could not be understood were attributed to ghosts. The vipras capitalized on this fear of ghosts by becoming exorcists and tricking the vaeshyas and kïatriyas out of their money. Did not the intelligent vipras know that if a THE VIPRA AGE 125 ghost is a mental creation, “possession by a ghost” must be just a mental disease? Whether we know the causes of paranormal events or not, they certainly have nothing to do with ghosts. Knowing full well that a person who is possessed by a ghost is suffering from a mental disease and a disease of the nervous system, exorcists generally beat a “possessed” person to reactivate his or her nerves, make him or her inhale the smoke of burnt chillies in order to return him or her to consciousness, or use numerous psychological techniques to cure his or her mental disease, but they never disclose to anybody what they are actually doing. Instead they inarticulately mutter meaningless mantras and even today make people believe that, due to the force of their psychic power or so-called Tantra sádhaná [spiritual practices], pretasiddhi [power to control ghosts] or pishácasiddhi [power to control evil spirits], the ghosts and demons will be compelled to flee. Exorcists tell stories about the various supernatural activities of ghosts or about offering food to manes at Gaya to make a patient concentrate his or her mind. The patient’s concentrated mind may then break the branch of a tree or crack a parapet of the roof, but the vipra exorcists claim that such occurrences are caused by the fleeing ghost and are proof of the power of their mantras. Actually ghosts never kill people, only vipras do. Indeed, vipras earn considerable amounts of money from the public by preaching about the tremendous importance of religiosity and not straying from the path of religiosity. Visions of gods and goddesses or so-called saints is the same type of thing as possession by ghosts. Don’t vipra priests really know that those who receive medical guidance or divine revelations by prostrating themselves before a temple or a saint’s mausoleum for days together without taking food and water, actually experience nothing more than the workings of their own intuition? Had the vipras not known this, they would not have persistently stressed the importance of faith to their 126 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 followers. Vipras understand that when through faith the crude mind reaches the realm of the subtle mind and the subtle mind reaches the realm of the intuition, it is the intuition, the innate repository of infinite knowledge, that enlightens the intellect. But the person who receives the medical guidance or divine revelation believes that it comes from the deity he or she was worshipping. If one’s faith is not strong enough, there will be a lack of concentration and the intellect will not be able to cross the threshold of the aham [ego] and enter the realm of the intuition. Consequently it will not be possible for the person to receive medical guidance or a divine revelation from his or her so-called deity. Vipra priests understand this and tell those with little faith, “You had better go. Your prayers will not be answered.” Had the deity actually been watchful the question of the presence or absence of faith would not have arisen; everybody would have received medical guidance or a divine revelation.

Deception and Trickery

Intellect controls crude physical force. Therefore kïatriyas, who have both intellect and physical strength, make the shúdras work according to their will either at the snap of their fingers or at bayonet point. And vipras, who are physically weaker but intellectually stronger than the kïatriyas, control the kïatriyas’ finger snap and raised bayonet through their sharp intellect. The vipras’ victory is intellectual victory; it would be meaningless without the support of the kïatriyas’ swords and the shúdras’ back-breaking labour. In fact, vipras use their nerve cells almost exclusively in their fights; they make very little use of their nerve fibres. The work of the nerve fibres is done by the obedient kïatriyas and shúdras. THE VIPRA AGE 127

Many major wars have been fought in the history of the world. Millions of unintelligent shúdras and thousands of unintelligent but brave kïatriyas have lost their lives, but the laurels of victory have always gone to the vipra ministers who have never so much as glanced at a battlefield from a distance. Ask any historical analyst, “Who won victory for Great Britain in the Second World War?” and he or she will immediately reply, “The Prime Minister of Great Britain, Mr. Churchill.”6 He or she will never mention the millions of British soldiers who fought for Britain with the last drop of their blood, or the hundreds of thousands of scientists, artisans, technicians, clerks, doctors and military officers who saved the prestige of Britain through their tireless efforts. It was as if the combined endeavours of millions of such people, the movements of their nerves and muscles, became eclipsed by the intellect of Churchill. On that day in medieval history that the kïatriyas, the rulers of the shúdras, laid their bows and arrows at the feet of the vipras and agreed to be their slaves, all the power of their personalities became caught in the net of the cunning vipras. That historic moment was the starting point of the Vipra Age, the era dominated by the vipras. But did the kïatriyas surrender their vigour and martial skills in a sudden way? No, it took a long time. The vipras gradually used their intellectual power to bring the activities of the comparatively dull-witted kïatriyas under a kind of psychic control. The kïatriyas surrendered exactly at the point where the intellectual pressure of the vipras had brought their powerful personalities under control.

6 The Second Wold War lasted from 1939 to 1945. Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the first time from 1940 to 1945. (He was Prime Minister for the second time from 1951 to 1955.) –Eds.

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The vipras had scientific minds, and when they knew that some type of natural calamity or beneficial natural event was about to occur, they would present those events to the kïatriyas as expressions of their supernatural powers. The kïatriyas would be filled with awe and think that if the possessors of such miraculous powers cursed them, a disaster might befall them, but if the vipras blessed them, they might be able to conquer the world. Spellbound by such thoughts, the kïatriyas surrendered all their abilities to the intellectual power of the vipras. We find in the history of that period that in the event of some conflict between the vipras and the less intelligent members of society, the vipras, who had studied astronomy, might discover that a solar eclipse was about to occur. They would utilize this knowledge to defeat their opponents, saying, “The world will soon be covered in darkness due to the power of our curse.” After some time the eclipse would occur and the world would become dark. Their opponents would believe that it was really the result of the vipras’ curse, and would surrender to them in a state of fear and panic. The vipras deceived the kïatriyas in many such ways; sometimes they made use of ordinary stage magic to achieve their ends, and sometimes they confounded the kïatriyas by psychological means. However, it took the vipras quite some time to learn their tricks; hence they did not gain domination overnight.

The Gotra-Pravar System

In the early stages of kïatriya dominance, a group of shúdras would form around an individual kïatriya. Later, when the vipras began to become dominant, [at least] one kïatriya group would form in the same way around an individual vipra, or so- called wise man. Needless to say, there would in turn be many THE VIPRA AGE 129 shúdra groups around each kïatriya group. Each kïatriya group would adopt a gotra name according to the name of the vipra leader around whom the various groups clustered, and also a pravar [ancestral lineage] name according to the name of a deputy vipra leader. Thus evolved the gotra-pravar system which still prevails in Hindu society.7 When kïatriya groups adopted vipra names according to the gotra-pravar system, that was the beginning of the end of the Kïatriya Age. With the acceptance of vipra dominance, a new social system evolved centring around the vipras. This social system allowed the exploitation machinery of the vipras to run unrestrained. The administrative machinery remained in the hands of the vipra-boot-licking kïatriyas. Kïatriya society in its early stages had been based on the matrilineal order. Later, as mentioned, male dominance developed, bringing with it the patrilineal order. In the course of time, as the vipras became dominant, the gotra-pravar system came into being.

Spiritual Advancement

Vipra dominance meant purely and simply intellectual dominance. The vipras made use of every means at their disposal to maintain their dominance while at the same time putting on a show of honesty and spirituality, a fine performance. Through their grandiloquence, they could very well exploit the innate weaknesses of the common people. Although vipras were proud of their learning and wanted to lead society, their aristocratic status did not result from that desire. Though their aversion to manual labour turned them into a kind of social parasite, they tried to establish themselves socially by performing social service and disseminating

7 Though it still prevailed at the time of writing, it had begun to wane, and has further waned since then. –Eds. 130 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 knowledge. This redeeming quality of a handful of vipras awakened in the minds of the kïatriyas and shúdras a special type of love for vipras. Because of this love, even though they were exploited, they did not bother about it. They thought, “What is the harm if the vipras take a part of what I’ve earned through my bravery, strength, intellect or physical labour.” The belief that serving vipras was the stepping-stone to heaven became firmly rooted in their minds. Regardless of whether this belief was good or not, it helped to build and maintain the solidarity of society. The vipras tried to maintain their dominant position and continue their exploitation by extolling their own greatness. Although most common people could not understand why, their devotion to the vipras or to the spirituality propagated by the vipras helped them to progress spiritually and to assimilate sublime ideas. It would certainly be inappropriate for people to hold a grudge against the vipras and refuse to recognize this important fact. The kïatriyas fought to defend themselves, to protect others and to create a social legacy. The vipras utilized all their intellectual power in the intellectual field to protect the mentally-undeveloped kïatriyas and shúdras, so that with their help they themselves could survive and their own professional needs, subsistence and security would be taken care of; and so that they could become the supreme rulers of society. The vipras’ total application of intellect made them debaters, logicians and metaphysicians. Such mental expressions addressed neither the spiritual world nor the physical world particularly. On the one hand the vipras used their logic and verbosity to exploit society and present themselves as righteous, and on the other hand their ideology refuted the humble dogma of the shúdra masses and encouraged people to move towards the subtler psychic realm. THE VIPRA AGE 131

Those treading the path leading towards the subtlest realm, whether they were shúdras, kïatriyas or vipras, provided spiritual inspiration to the human race and developed spiritual philosophies. It was possible in the past, it is possible today, and it will be possible in the future for sadvipras to emerge from this section of society. In the process of criticizing the vipras, we must not overlook the fact that human fraternity, universalistic intellect, the use of the influence of material wealth, and the peak of mental attainment were contributions of the Vipra Age. It should also be remembered that the Kïatriya Age began the process of seeing humans as humans, and the Vipra Age, in assessing the value of humans, gave more importance to intellect than to physical existence.

Social Codes and Religious Scriptures

The onward march of intellect, in order to put the social system built by the kïatriyas on a basis of collective welfare, many times destroyed, then rebuilt, the structure of that system. The vipras would continually write new social codes, basing those new codes on different factors, such as environment, social needs, human nature, post-war social reactions, and the blood-mixing of different groups. In order to maintain their control, they had based their machinery of exploitation on so- called spiritual scriptures which they declared to be superhuman revelations (supposedly given by God alone and not by human beings) and therefore immutable. Nevertheless they did recognize that it was necessary to change the social system in order to meet the needs of the age. In this regard it is an incontrovertible fact that the vipras were more broad-minded than the kïatriyas. Time and again in their social system the kïatriyas had demonstrated a kind of obstinacy characteristic of foolish dictators; whereas the vipras 132 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 at least did not make this mistake. The reason for this is quite clear. The prestige of the kïatriyas derived from their dictatorship, and so by any means they wanted to maintain this system. But the prestige of the vipras was based purely on intellectual supremacy, and so, after ensuring that they had sufficient scope for intellectual exploitation, they considered it expedient to keep pace with the requirements of the age. If the vipras had admitted that scriptures were written by human beings (such as those written by Manu8), they would have lost their scope for exploitation. So they chose not to do this. But if they had claimed that their social scriptures (or social codes, or smrti shástra) were divine revelations, they would have missed out on the means of exploitation that were available in that era. This is why the vipras accepted that social codes could be changed. The vipras were inclined towards intellectual exploitation. Regardless of what they constructed or destroyed, they always made sure that they had sufficient scope to exploit people. The intelligent vipras understood that the path of exploitation was not the path of rationality and therefore they never walked that path, leading the ignorant instead down the path of blind faith. So when they set themselves to formulate social scriptures, they did so with an eye to their own convenience. Instead of supporting their views with rational arguments, they propagated high-sounding religious injunctions. That is why the degree of genuine humanity found in the kïatriya social and matrimonial systems did not increase in the social and matrimonial systems of the vipras. The vipras merely covered what genuine humanity was already there with a veneer of religious fanaticism.

8 Manu lived about 2,000 years ago. –Eds.

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The Exploitation of Women

The kïatriyas tried to structure their social system and matrimonial relations to meet the needs of both men and women, but the vipras cleverly tried to maintain a permanent system for exploiting both women and ignorant, neglected men. They did not hesitate to employ any kind of cunning to keep power in the hands of a small group, out of fear that neglected people and women would claim that as human beings they should have the same rights as everyone else. The way in which the kïatriyas rose to power varied from country to country, but the way in which the vipras rose to power was almost the same everywhere. In order to achieve their aims, the vipras composed fanciful stories to suit their purpose in the name of religion, but without regard for dharma or spirituality. In the Vipra Age, as the dependence of women on men increased, the vipras turned women with vipra intellects into wageless slaves. Conspiring to cripple women in every sphere of life, they wrote “divine” commandments, many kinds of scriptural injunctions, many kinds of specious logic, and imaginary tales of pápa [vice] and puòya [virtue]. To hear or read such things one would think that men, especially vipra men, were alone blessed by God and that others were born only to provide them the wherewithals of enjoyment. The matrimonial system of the Kïatriya Age regarded women as both the assistants and co-workers of men, but in the Vipra Age, though on paper women were considered sahadharmiòii,9 in practice they became servants or slaves. A woman’s social status lasted only as long as the man maintained her in style.

9 Wives; literally “co-performers of religious rites”. –Eds.

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Today in countries where the women work and the men only sit around and eat, the status of women is similar; the women of such countries are restless because they are strictly controlled by the men. In the developed countries, although women are called the “fair sex” and are shown respect through language and people’s conduct, men are not prepared to accept that women should have equal rights.10 The strict control that men exercised over women in the Vipra Age continued unchanged in the Vaeshya Age. In the Kïatriya Age women were the partners of men; that is, they shared both good times and bad times and shared the same social status. But in the Vipra Age, after the intellectual defeat of women, their social status declined. Men toyed with the prestige of women: sometimes men glorified them and sometimes they neglected them. In the Vipra Age, particularly in the middle of the Vedic Age,11 when the intellectuals became all-powerful in society, some women enjoyed the same social rights and dignity as men due to the legacy of the past and were called jáyás,12 but most women were treated only as objects of enjoyment. Society did not recognize that they had any abilities beyond those of conceiving and bringing up children. Such women were called bháryás. In their social scriptures opportunists clearly stated, Puttrárthe kriyate bháryá (“Women are child-producing

10 When this discourse was given in 1963, in developed countries women did not have the same rights as men is a number of spheres, including the social and economic spheres. –Eds. 11 The Vedic Age lasted from about 15,000 to 2,200 years ago. –Eds. 12 The vipras of that period divided wives into four categories: patniis, who were entitled to the same social and religious rights as their husbands; jáyás, who were entitled to the same social rights as their husbands but were deprived of his religious rights; bháryás, who were deprived of both the social and religious rights of their husbands, but whose children were entitled to the same social and religious rights as their fathers; and kalatras, who along with their children were deprived of both the social and religious rights of their husbands. –Eds.

THE VIPRA AGE 135 machines”).13 To the extent that this type of outdated idea survives, it is a legacy of the Vipra Age. Of course in that Vipra Age ignorant women were sometimes led to believe that they were not only jáyás or bháryás, but also grhiòiis – that is, that they had equal social rights and social status, and equal spiritual rights as well; but in practice their spiritual rights were rarely respected. One or two women who appeared to have been given the opportunity to enjoy those rights did not actually win the rights, but through their great personalities established a kind of right with a type of force. The pandits of those days could not formally oppose this effort to establish their rights, but naturally such endeavours were not viewed favourably. Of course such women later commanded great respect in society, and still do today. Although it is universally true that no one gives anyone rights – rights have to be established by one’s own efforts – I have nevertheless specifically mentioned this here because vipra society was not prepared to voluntarily respect women’s rights. The dominance of group-mothers in the Kïatriya Age completely disappeared in the Vipra Age. When knowledge first began to bloom in the Kïatriya Age, women also would impart knowledge to others. They composed mantras and offered libations to sacrificial fires alongside the men. But in the Vipra Age women lost their prestige. Every attempt was made to totally enslave them. The right to participate in sacrifices was taken away and matriarchs were replaced by patriarchs. Opportunities to read scriptures were either withdrawn or drastically curtailed. Ignorant women had no alternative but to silently accept the supremacy of men.

13 The literal translation of this injunction is, “A bháryá is taken only to produce male children.” –Eds.

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The Vipra Age was the age of male opportunists. While men had the opportunity to divorce their wives or to be loose in character, women had to follow a very strict code of conduct. If any such lapse or defect was found in a woman, she would lose all respect not only as a woman, but also as a human being. Yet when men committed the same crimes, they strutted about arrogantly as leaders of society. The Vaeshya Age followed the Vipra Age. But in the Vaeshya Age as well, we see that, as a legacy of the Vipra Age, women who have been abandoned by their husbands have not been respected by society. Even today, in places where society has not yet begun to feel the influence of shúdra revolution,14 society follows the system of the Vipra Age in not open- mindedly accepting divorce. In such places women have been given some opportunities on paper, but in reality they still have to depend on the mercy of oppressive men. In the Vipra Age prostitution became a profession for the first time, because women were faced with loss of respect in society, economic difficulties and other worldly problems. It should be kept in mind that the profession of prostitution was not a phenomenon of the Shúdra or Kïatriya Age. It is possible to find some degree of bad character among both men and women due to the influence of base propensities, but this is not enough to create a large community of prostitutes in society. This sinful occupation is the creation of selfish vipras. Later, if I get the opportunity, I will discuss this subject in detail.15

14 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds. 15 See also the section Prostitution in “The Vaeshya Age”, where the author says: “The repugnant social disease of prostitution is also a creation of the vaeshyas.” So he distinguishes between the profession of prostitution, which is the creation of the vipras, and the social disease of prostitution, which is the creation of the vaeshyas. – Eds.

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In the Kïatriya Age, a woman was considered to be the valuable property of a man. Although women did not have the same rights as men, they still commanded considerable respect. But in the Vipra Age the position of women became like that of cows, sheep and goats, no better than the other essential items of a household. In the Kïatriya Age a woman was considered to be a “hero’s reward”, and abduction by the strong was considered a virtuous act, but in the Vipra Age this changed a little; in the Vipra Age a woman came to be considered a “pandit’s reward”. A woman had no existence in society without a husband. In some countries more than one woman might be compelled to be married to one man; devious means were employed to bring this about. By creating a fear of hell in the minds of women, by maintaining social strictures through severe punishment, and by crippling women economically, women were made so dependent on men that the very idea that polygyny might be unjust was effaced from their minds. In some countries unmarried girls were forced to marry old men on the verge of death on the curious pretext that it was sinful for a woman to lead an unmarried life. In some places unmarried girls were married to imaginary gods and were called devadásiis [maidservants of a god]. Needless to say, this type of marriage indirectly encouraged immoral social practices. Because such injustices continued for a long time, women developed an inferiority complex and a sense of despair. Who can count the millions of women who have spent sleepless nights weeping their grief out in the dark, and died with no hope for redressal of such tyranny. They were pulverized like soft lumps of earth under the steamroller of vipra rule. Thus we can see, in the social customs and ceremonies of many countries, in little girls’ rhymes and songs to the deities, that mothers have taught their daughters to pray to the gods and 138 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 goddesses, there being no other remedy, that they should not end up as a co-wife or that their co-wives should live short lives. In the Vipra Age matrimonial ties became irreversible. The social system became extremely rigid, not only in matters of matrimony but in all spheres.

Great Personalities

In the Kïatriya Age society had been like a well-arranged stack of bricks, as at the brick kiln, but in the Vipra Age the bricks in the stack became cemented together into a firm structure. Just as new stacks of bricks can be built either according to necessity or according to one’s liking, in the Kïatriya Age the social system was rearranged from time to time according to people’s needs and desires. In the Vipra Age, however, the strongly-cemented edifice could not be rearranged at will. In order to change the edifice strong arms and a strong hammer would have been needed. We can say that in the Vipra Age the leaders of society were more concerned with preserving the existence of their strongly- cemented edifice than with building society according to people’s needs. It seemed as though their social edifice was not created for people, but rather people for the edifice. The sole aim of the vipra leaders became to preserve their edifice, without considering the interests of the people – without thinking about their happiness and sorrow, their pains and agonies – without listening to the supplications of humanity. In the Vipra Age those who tried to bring about even a little social change in the interest of the common people either died smashing their heads on the hard bricks or broke the bricks with their hammers and strong arms. Those who hammered in this way were welcomed with open arms by the downtrodden masses, but vested interests defamed them. This indirectly THE VIPRA AGE 139 helped those great social leaders to popularize their causes. Such great leaders included Shrii Krïòa, Buddha, Vardhamana Mahavir, Hazrat Mohammed, Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, Raja Ramamohana and Ishvarchandra Vidyasagar. In the middle period [of Indian history] Shrii Krïòa united all the kings of India in order to apply force and to destroy those powerful leaders who were doing evil and who, in the name of morality and justice, were encouraging unrighteousness within the accepted structure of society.16 He gave a clarion call to the human race and declared that the human body is the medium through which dharma is realized. However, it should not be utilized only for performing spiritual activities and breathing through alternate nostrils in a darkened room. People also have to become karma yogiis [vigorously active] so they can destroy the root causes of sin in society. They should even mercilessly take up arms against their relatives if necessary. On behalf of the common people Krïòa declared war on a social system built on a base of selfishness in order to smash it. He stood defiantly against the systems of exploitation of the gurus and priests and propounded his own psychologically-based karmaváda [doctrine of action]. Vardhamana Mahavir tried to evolve a new ideology based on a scientific outlook. Hazrat Mohammed offered a new way of life to the ignorant and oppressed who were swirling endlessly round and round in the muddy whirlpool of superstition. He clearly declared that all the people of the world belonged to one caste. Kabir and Mahaprabhu launched open revolts against the casteism which had kept Indian society crippled by creating a tremendous complex of self-aggrandizement in one section of

16 Shrii Krïòa lived about 3,500 years ago. “The accepted structure of society” refers to the three upper castes. In earlier times those castes had at least sincerely observed certain moral strictures and performed certain benevolent duties prescribed to them by scripture. –Eds. 140 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 society and a terrible inferiority complex in another section. Although Mahaprabhu had been born into a well-known Brahman family, he suffered many insults because of his opposition to casteism. Despite this he remained steadfast in his ideology. Burning innocent women to death was once considered by Hindus to be a part of their religious life. Raja Ramamohana opposed this practice and did not rest till he had stopped it. As a result many attempts were made on his life. Vidyasagara did not rest till he had compelled the Hindus in his region to recognize widow remarriage. All historians know that the paths of Shrii Krïòa, Buddha, Mahaprabhu and Mahavir were not strewn with roses. Even today the standard bearers of vested interests do not sympathize with such personalities. Among people who today appear to us as moral leaders, those who protested against prevailing customs and superstitions, such as Lenin, George Bernard Shaw and Manavendra Roy, were criticized and made the victims of false propaganda. They were opposed and abused at every step for no reason at all. Their only crime was to deal a blow at the vipras’ machinery of exploitation. The most distinctive feature of the vipras’ [social system] was that it had supposedly been built for the welfare and greater good of the people, but where their convenience or the thought of their welfare conflicted with the vipras’ intellectual exploitation, the vipras ruled in favour of their own exploitative system. For this reason the principle of the Kïatriya Age, Viira bhogyá vasundhará [“Might makes right”], was replaced by a new principle in the Vipra Age, Buddhiryasya balaî tasya nirbuddhestu kuto balam [“Where there is intellect there is might; where there is no intellect there is no might”].

THE VIPRA AGE 141

Parents and Gurus

Though on the one hand the vipras became lazy and physically weak due to the constant exercise of their intellects, on the other hand in them the sweetness of humanity became fully expressed. The idea that children should do something in return for their parents’ love and affection had first awakened in the Kïatriya Age, but the fact that the mental satisfaction gained from rendering service to one’s parents in this way helps the child to progress towards higher feelings was first deeply felt by the vipras. That is why in the Vipra Age service to parents ceased to be limited to the repayment of a debt, but came to be considered part of one’s dharma sádhaná [spiritual practice]. And why stop at service to one’s parents alone? The vipras deemed all those who bestowed physical, mental or spiritual wealth as a gift of love – as an expression of affection – to be one’s gurus. Duty towards such gurus was not a purely worldly duty, but became an important sádhaná of jaeva dharma [duties enjoined on unit beings]. The sweet relationship between parents and their children made family life in the Vipra Age a lot happier than it had been in the Kïatriya Age. The children of the Kïatriya Age only took care to preserve the heroism, traditions and prestige of their parents, but the children of the Vipra Age learned to think about more than this. Just as parents and other elders in the Vipra Age prayed, Puttrádicchet parájayam [“One should long to be outshone by one’s children”] or Shiïyádicchet parájayam [“One should long to be outshone by one’s students”], their children not only tried to uphold the prestige of their families and of the lineages of their gurus, keeping in view their families’ and gurus’ traditions, but also, in carefully preserving that prestige, kept an ideal uppermost in their minds and moved towards that ideal. That is why the society of that era kept 142 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 progressing step by step in the intellectual sphere: the thought of the ideal gave it no respite. Thus Vedic rïis [sages] always exhorted people to move forward, saying that the mantra of a living society was Caraeveti, caraeveti [“Move on, move on”]. Vipra society was far more firmly-knit than kïatriya society had been. In kïatriya society it had become necessary to select suitable brides and grooms for marriages in order to maintain the continuity of social traditions, but the personal wishes of the brides and grooms themselves were not disregarded. Grooms and families were selected after giving due consideration to the opinions of the brides and grooms themselves. But this was not the practice in the Vipra Age, when maintaining the continuity of social traditions became the primary consideration. Hence in the Vipra Age the scope for independent decisions regarding marriage disappeared, as undue importance began to be paid to the selection either of families or of grooms.

Cultural and Religious Exploitation

The vipras’ culture included music, dance, arts and crafts. It emphasized the sharpness of the vipra intellect rather than the sentiments of the human mind, so the down-to-earth sentiments of kïatriya culture were substantially lost. The vipras’ culture was not for the common mass. No doubt it stimulated the nerves of a small handful of people, but it could not move in step with the general mass. Vipra artists wished, through their intellectual brilliance, to conquer the world. Through their poems, dramas, writings and drawings they induced common people to pay homage to the superiority of the intellectuals. But the ignorant people could not understand these big things. The common people thought, “What we cannot understand must be something great,” and with this mentality fell obediently at the vipras’ feet. THE VIPRA AGE 143

At times when the intellectual art and literature of the vipras failed to convince the common people of their greatness, the vipras composed countless, fanciful puráòas [mythological stories], stories about gods and goddesses that satisfied their own standards, and colourful mythological tales, all designed to dazzle people’s eyes and confound their intellects. They also warned the masses that if they failed to follow the teachings of these stories or doubted their veracity, they would most certainly go to the deepest level of hell. Everything in the practical world has some value as well as some defects. The kïatriyas, as an expression of their svabháva dharma [natural characteristics], had thought deeply about how to increase their numerical strength, and as a result – quickening the pace of human beings’ struggle against nature – had not only laid the foundation of the vast edifice of human civilization, but had also flung themselves into the task of constructing the walls. Similarly, the vipras’ expression of their natural characteristics induced them as well to increase their numbers, and for that reason increasing the number of their followers became one criterion of their vipra-hood. Of course in order to succeed in swelling the ranks of their followers, the vipras had to develop a due amount of proficiency; and their efforts to develop it served to build the roof on the edifice of human civilization. Phallus worship had been invented by the primitive, uncultured kïatriyas as a symbol of increasing their population. The cultured vipras now interpreted it in a new way. They contended that the linga was a symbol for Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] and the piiíha [vulva] a symbol for Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle]. The interpretation the vipras gave was, Liuôgate gamyate yasmád talliuôgam [“The entity from which everything originates (and towards which everything is moving) is called liuôga”] or Yasmin sarváòi liiyante talliuôgam [“The entity in which everything merges is 144 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 called liuôga”]. When examining the history of phallus worship, one should not only consider the mentality of the kïatriyas but also give due consideration to the mentality of the vipras. However, the vipra interpretation has no relation to reality. Phallus worship belonged to primitive kïatriya society. And not only phallus worship; most of the gods and goddesses described in the mythologies of different countries were representations of actual kïatriya leaders. People in the Kïatriya Age worshipped these gods and goddesses out of fear and devotion. Indra, Agni, Varuna, etc., of the Vedas had been mighty kïatriya leaders. In the Vipra Age they came to function as gods after winning the support of various scriptures. The undeveloped kïatriyas would worship all those leaders, or “gods”, by offering them their (the kïatriyas’) favourite foods in order to propitiate them. After those leaders’ deaths, all such food would be burnt in a fire, thereby going to waste, for the supposed satisfaction of their souls in heaven. Even in the Vipra Age, good-quality food and drink was destroyed by offering it to an imaginary god in a sacrificial fire. Moreover the vipras received a commission for doing this. Later, after the vipras had fully established their dominance in society, they began to receive more than a mere commission. A sizeable part of the offerings intended for the sacrificial fires was not burnt, but found its way into their storerooms. That is, the shúdras and kïatriyas had become totally subservient to the vipras. Taking advantage of their tyrannical power and superior intellect, the vipras used every means to consolidate their system of exploitation. Regardless of whether a ceremony was concerned with religious practices, charitable activities, the first step in a child’s pursuit of knowledge, harvesting crops, marriage, a baby’s first solid food, commemoration of the dead, or anything else, a share in the [anticipated] benefits had to be offered to the vipras, otherwise the ceremony would not THE VIPRA AGE 145 conclude in karmasiddhi [attainment]. And the vipras had to be feasted and paid, otherwise the ceremony would not produce any result. The vipra priests also adopted the different gods and goddesses that had been born out of the fear complex of the masses in the Shúdra and Kïatriyas Ages. (For example, they adopted Dakïiòaráya, the crocodile-god or tiger-god of South Bengal; Viïahari or Manasá, the snake goddess of snake- infested areas; Shiitalá, the goddess of smallpox; and Olái Caòìii, the goddess of cholera.) They also composed various types of dhyána mantra 17 for such gods and goddesses; prescribed according to their own needs the specific materials that should be used for different kinds of worship of those deities; and, conveying strange commands from the deities at odd times, took to fleecing people out of donations, dakïiòá [sacerdotal fees], sidhá [uncooked food given in exchange for a priest’s services] and various types of materials to be used for worship. Another interesting thing about this is that in referring to the gods and goddesses created out of their fear complex, the shúdras and kïatriyas used colloquial language, while the vipras, in order to establish their supremacy and prove their intelligence, erudition and close relationship with God, used ancient languages. They always tried to make the masses believe that they, the masses, did not have the right of access to God, but had to go through the vipras. In other words, the vipras had a monopoly as agents in such matters. The vipras have invented and are still inventing new ways of exploiting different communities of people in different parts of the world. In some places they have lured people with the prospect of eternal heaven, injecting into them at the same time

17 A Sanskrit verse listing the attributes of a deity, to be used for visualizing that deity in meditation. –Eds.

146 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 the fear of eternal hell. By claiming the doctrine of some particular vipra leader to be the word of God, they have blocked the natural expression of the human intellect and made people intellectually bankrupt. With the intention of permanently securing for themselves an exalted position in the eyes of the ordinary people, some vipra leaders have declared themselves to be the incarnation or the appointed prophet of God. Through their own so-called scriptures, they have indirectly let the common people know that no one can achieve the same proximity to God as they – so that an inferiority complex will remain forever in the minds of the masses, and due to this inferiority complex the masses will always follow their teachings, either out of fear or out of devotion. That is why even intellectual people have fallen into their trap and have been compelled to say, Vishváse miláy vastu, tarke vahu dúr [“The goal is achieved not by reason but by faith”], or, Majhab men ákl ká dakhl nahii haen [“There is no room for reason in religion”]. Even today there is a group of vipras who keep shouting about “religious education”, or rend the air with their calls for a “religious state”,18 but what they really want is to entangle the minds of children, which are naturally inclined towards rationality, in a net of religious superstition, so that later they will become puppets in the exploitative hands of the vipras. If God is considered to be the perfect ideal, it will have to be accepted that God is always just. Even though God loves everyone, He19 punishes sinners. But it can be said that when He punishes sinners, His aim is not to give them pain but to

18 Or “theocratic state”. –Eds. 19 Philosophically, God means Parama Puruïa (Supreme Consciousness), which is generally referred to in the masculine. For example, in “Problems of the Day”, section 1, in Volume 1, the author says: “Parama Puruïa is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland.” –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 147 rectify their behaviour. In my opinion this concept of God is the highest concept. If God is considered to be the Universal Father, He should not have any racial, national or communal feeling, or any other type of limited feeling. If this is true, how can the vipras contract that the soul of a certain dead person will reach heaven? I have heard that in some communities vipras claim to have the key to heaven. People even say that for the donation of a sum of money, vipras will sing akhaòìa kiirtana [constant chanting of the name of God] on behalf of the donor to ensure his or her passage to heaven. It is said that if others sing spiritual songs and kiirtana in the donor’s name, the donor will receive the benefit and go to heaven. What a wonderful philosophy for condoning sin! Anyway, we can see that vipras never have missed an opportunity to exploit human weaknesses, nor do they miss such opportunities today.

Ideology

Neither the kïatriyas nor the vipras lived solely for physical enjoyment; both were devoted to an ideology. Just as the dark frown of meanness and physical over-indulgence was offset in the kïatriyas by a crimson glow of idealism and spiritedness, so in the vipras those defects were offset by the white brilliance of their intellects, which cannot be separated from devotion to an ideology. Even if it does momentarily get separated, it again becomes united, because intellectuality which does not adhere to an ideology cannot maintain its brilliance for long; it gets lost in the darkness of selfishness. So just as in the pages of ancient history we find countless examples of how the kïatriyas, devoted to their ideology, died fighting to establish their prestige, we find similar examples of how the vipras, 148 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 devoted to their ideology, fought to establish their doctrines, and either won, or died from the mental shock upon losing. All those who, undaunted by either political pressure or threats of violence from their opponents, have tried or try now, or who have died or are prepared to die, to save their religion, should be regarded as vipras from a psychological standpoint, regardless of whether they are intellectually developed or not. Those people are also to be regarded as vipras who have the desire to resist, protest or retaliate against the forcible imposition of certain doctrines on any person or group. These doctrines include not only religious doctrines, but also social, economic or political doctrines, which may not strike at the powerful personality of any particular individual (that is, may not affect kïatriyas).

Intellectual Recognition

Those to whom the shúdras look for leadership are kïatriyas. The kïatriyas control the shúdras under their command like machines. If together they achieve something great, the shúdras will gain little or no recognition for their efforts. The names of generals and courageous soldiers have been recorded in the annals of history, and minstrels have composed epic songs in their honour, but the shúdras who have shed their blood in the rank and file have remained unknown. The impact that kïatriyas create through their heroism and powerful personalities have never gone unknown or unsung as regards the people of their era, because their impact was on that era itself; but shúdras remain unknown, because although their contributions are recorded on the pages of time, they do not make an impact on people’s minds. That is why no space is allocated by the newspapers to publish the news of their deaths and why a permanent grave with a tombstone for each of them is considered unnecessary. How can so much land be sacrificed THE VIPRA AGE 149 for one man? They are buried in mass graves or thrown into the river half-cremated. Shúdras live and die unknown. But what about vipras? Their circumstances are somewhat similar, are they not? Can we think of the Nine Jewels [nine brilliant vipra ministers] in the court of the kïatriya Vikramáditya,20 without thinking about Vikramáditya himself? No, we cannot. Still, the intellectual capacity of the vipras does not go unrecognized or unheard of, nor can it. In an era when the vipras live under the protection of kïatriyas, the prestige of the vipras may pale by comparison with that of the kïatriyas, but this kind of thing does not occur in the Vipra Age. It did not take long for the vipras who rose to power in the Vipra Age to be recognized and accepted. But the genius of the vipras who rose to power in the Kïatriya Age was recognized only in the Vipra Age that followed. Of course the prestige that these vipras had in terms of economic theory, intellectuality and learning in the Vipra Age was greater than the prestige of the kïatriyas in the social and political arenas in the Kïatriya Age. But it must also be admitted that vipras rarely receive immediate recognition for their strokes of genius. Instead they face many obstacles and become objects of censure, humiliation and slander. The reason for this is very simple. Human beings have an innate attraction towards the old. Therefore, when the intellect of some vipra reveals or explains something new, the remainder of the population, whether vipras, kïatriyas or shúdras, cannot easily accept it. They cannot keep time with the new rhythm and prefer to stick to the old one. Thus vipras who develop something new face conflicts, acrimonious attacks and unwarranted criticism. But when the theories propounded by such vipras or their new inventions have been

20 Vikramáditya (or Chandragupta II) ruled the Gupta Empire from about 380 to 415. –Eds. 150 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 around for some time (it may be two or three months or two or three centuries), other open-minded, rational vipras wholeheartedly accept them and praise them, and are careful to see them become established. This is precisely why the famous philosopher Karl Marx was not honoured in his time, but only long after. Similarly, Shakespeare, Galileo, etc., were almost totally unknown during their own lifetimes, yet today they are celebrated by scholarly society. When the genius of Rabindranath first started to express itself, the poets and [authors] of Bengal did not miss a single opportunity to suppress or ridicule him; yet he is now universally loved and revered as the world’s greatest poet. It is said that the popular Bengali poet Chandidas (a poet of the pre-Pathan period) was subjected to unspeakable persecution by the people of his time. They set fire to his house and forced him to leave the country; yet 200 to 250 years later, during the time of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, he came to be revered as the greatest Vaeïòava poet of Bengal. Today the people of his village feel proud of him and have built or wish to build a memorial in his honour. That is why I contend that vipras do not go unrecognized. Generally the reputation of a vipra transcends time, space and person. When shúdras clash with each other, it is a clash of self- interest only. They live for physical enjoyment, and like other animals are concerned only about their personal and family interests. Because they are unable to generate a powerful vibration in relation to the social progress of humanity, they are naturally considered by society to be of little value. But when kïatriyas clash it is a clash of their powerful personalities – sword against sword – and when vipras clash it is a clash of their intellects – ruse against ruse, duplicity against duplicity. THE VIPRA AGE 151

Whether or not honesty plays a part in these clashes, they have a tremendous impact which shakes the very foundations of society. As a result, long after genuine vipras or vipra leaders have departed from this world, the footprints of their journeys through life remain imprinted on the earth. The vipras’ intellect awakens the powerful personalities of the kïatriyas, while their duplicity withers and destroys the bravery of the kïatriyas. That is why the kïatriyas regard the vipras as gods, surrender at their feet and obey all their commands. The kïatriyas go to battle at the slightest sign from the vipras. It is not easy to establish the Vipra Age after the Kïatriya Age, but once it is established, the Vipra Age quickly gains a strong, octopus-like hold over kïatriya society.

Past, Present and Future

Shúdras are only interested in the present, and kïatriyas in the past and present, but vipras are interested in the past, present and future. Vipras sometimes concentrate on the past and ignore the present and future, and sometimes they concentrate on the future and ignore the past and present, for although they are concerned with all three, they do not maintain a balance among the three. By ruminating over old memories and giving undue importance to the past at the expense of the present and future, vipras have harmed not only themselves but society as well, and continue to do so. Shúdras at first oppose new ideas, doctrines or ideals in life, then later accept them en masse, but this is not the case with vipras. Some vipras, blinded by their infatuation with the past, oppose new ideas for a long time. Sections of society may break away, but these vipras never come to their senses. For example, today mullahs and members of the clergy, and a group of gurus and priests of Hindu society, are incapable of seeing reason. When sections of Hindu society have broken 152 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 away, I have heard some say that Sanátana Dharma [Hinduism] was created by God alone, that it has been in existence since time immemorial and that it will continue to exist forever, and that it cannot be destroyed. I have also heard such beliefs expressed by some of those who have left their homes for political reasons and come to India as refugees in an effort to preserve Sanátana Dharma. In other words, they have still not opened their eyes or developed any common sense.21 When the Western system of education was introduced in India,22 some pandits continued to extol the virtues of their own catuspáíhiis [education centres] which taught mainly grammar. In their blind infatuation with the past, they refused to send their children to English-medium schools. Did this decision benefit them? Two generations later circumstances compelled them to accept English education, but in the interim their social progress had lagged somewhat behind. In that same period a group of obstinate mullahs issued a fatwa against the English language, declaring that it was an unholy language because it was written from left to right, and that if Muslims learned it they would lose their religious identity and become Christians. This attitude of the Muslim vipras had a very harmful effect on Indian Muslims. Later they had to found the Muslim University in Aligarh23 to repair the damage. Excessive concern about the future is also a bad trait of some vipras. Vipras have exploited the common people by infusing

21 Here the author is referring to some among the millions of refugees who have come to India since the partition in 1947. It was the very vulnerability of their religion in their homelands that had forced them to come. –Eds. 22 With the passing of the English Education Act, 1835, English was used in education and to promote English literature and science. –Eds. 23 The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College was established in 1875. In 1920 it was renamed the Aligarh Muslim University. –Eds.

THE VIPRA AGE 153 imaginary ideas about heaven and hell into their minds. And at the same time they themselves, persuaded by that outlook to ignore the past and the present, have also been harmed. A doctrine that emphasizes an imaginary heaven and hell and considers the traditions of the past and the solid earth of the present as false and illusory, is extremely dangerous for society. One expression of this type of vipra thinking was Máyáváda [the doctrine of illusion], based on advaetaváda [non-dualism], which tried to reject the existence of jiiva [livings beings] and jagat [the world], and accept the unmanifest Nirguòa Brahma [Non-Qualified Supreme Entity] as the only truth.

Religion Based on Intellectuality

Since vipras are fundamentally intellectuals, it is natural for them to follow religious observances based on intellectuality. (I am not referring here to an ostentatious religiosity designed to exploit others. Although an ostentatious religiosity is indeed part of the vipra’s system of exploitation, I am referring here to the religious ideas which they follow in their personal lives.) When intellectuals cannot find ways to solve complex problems through their intellect, they ask God for spiritual liberation. This is a type of defeatism or escapism. The vipras’ religious thinking is somewhat like this. The fear-ridden religious thinking that is clearly evident in shúdras and to some extent evident in kïatriyas and vaeshyas, is not completely lacking in the vipras. This type of thinking has created in the vipras the tendency to live a mechanical kind of religious life regardless of whether they have any reverence for God or not. This is called Yajet yaïíavyamiti [“One should worship an entity simply because it ought to be worshipped”]. That is, regular worship, telling the beads, or prayer ought to be done so many times a day, at such-and-such time – and 154 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 therefore we do it – this mentality is very much in evidence in a vipra. And whether they admit it or not, the propensity at work behind this mentality is a fear complex. Although the genuinely spiritual side of the vipras’ religious practices is indistinct, it is not totally absent. However, their desires for intellectual dominance, exploitation and prestige completely overshadow whatever spirituality they possess. Whereas in logical analysis the religious thinking of the kïatriyas is a direct expression of their worldly desires and therefore rájasikii [mutative], the religious thinking of the vipras is not of the sáttvikii [sentient] category; it is actually a mixture of the támasikii [static] elements of the shúdras and the mutative elements of the kïatriyas. The vipras understand the need for self-restraint in religious life and make some effort to become established in it. But the mixture of elements in their religious thinking causes them to use the religiously-inclined intellect that they have developed through self-restraint to establish themselves in the intellectual field.

Discipline in Society

The cornerstone of society is discipline and a sense of unity, and that is laid by the kïatriyas. Although unity and discipline are regarded as the basis of society, they are not everything, because they depend upon an unexceptional mentality. A mentality based on the powerful personalities of the kïatriyas cannot construct a well-knit society; for that a mentality based on the intellect of the vipras is what is needed. In other words, social consciousness based on morality is needed. This consciousness is provided by the vipras in the Vipra Age. So what we really understand as a society is properly realized only in the Vipra Age. Conflict takes place among the kïatriyas because of their powerful personalities, and conflict takes place among the THE VIPRA AGE 155 vipras because of their differing opinions and differing scriptures. The end result of the clash of opinions and scriptures is the creation of a variety of philosophies. Within those philosophies and scriptures we can find sufficient expression of the intellects of different ages, but at the same time those philosophies in most cases scarcely conceal the self- interest motivation of the vipras. No matter how much scope for exploitation these philosophies may support, however, they never attack intellect itself. Although these vipra philosophies sometimes afford some indirect advantage to the vaeshyas, to a larger extent they restrict the vaeshyas’ exploitation. The Ïaìadarshana [six major schools of orthodox Indian philosophy] of the Hindus and the ancient philosophies of Europe are essentially vipra philosophies. Although those philosophies that revolted against both the philosophies and the exploitation of the vipras may not, from a subtle point of view, have been materialistic, they were without doubt atheistic. Some vipras tried to stay philosophically alive in the Vipra Age by writing newer and newer commentaries about their old philosophies, as a means of fighting against the atheistic philosophies. The Máyáváda evolved by Shankaracharya24 with the aim of demolishing the Buddhist atheism is an outstanding example. An administration is needed to maintain a society, and a system of government is needed to maintain the administration. The government system established by the kïatriyas by brute force remains intact in the Vipra Age, except that intellectuality takes precedence over brute force; intellectual force controls physical force. Even though the control of the government appears to remain or remains on paper in the hands of the kïatriyas, in reality those kïatriyas are completely controlled

24 Shankaracharya lived about 1,300 years ago. Máyáváda is the doctrine of illusion. –Eds.

156 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 by their intellectual vipra ministers. In the Vipra Age the kïatriya kings do not want to bring trouble upon themselves by going against the counsels of their vipra ministers or of the priests of the royal family. In fact even if they want to, in most instances they are unable to; or even if they are able to, their actions, being an instance of counter-evolution or counter- revolution, are very short-lived. The kings of many countries in the Middle Ages acted in this way, or tried to do so, but none of them were successful, because they were living in the Vipra Age. The Nanda dynasty of Magadha suffered miserably when it went against the vipra Chanakya. And Chandragupta had to rule his kingdom in subservience to the vipras – as their servant – although he did not lack power, bravery or popularity. In fact, the administration of a state according to a legal framework, instead of in accordance with the whims and caprices of the king – that is, the control of governmental procedures by a written or unwritten constitution – is a contribution of the vipras’ intellect. Discipline for the sake of discipline or discipline to achieve success in battle is the real meaning of the sense of discipline that is found in kïatriya society. There is also discipline in vipra society, but that discipline is based on a sense of morality. The purpose of vipra discipline is to maintain and develop the social structure, thus it can never go against social consciousness. Rather it adapts itself to changes of time, place and person. Vipras do not encourage discipline if it is harmful to society. Shrii Krïòa once said to the Pandavas in the Mahábhárata, “Once a promise is made it must be kept, for that is dharma. But if to keep the promise will cause harm [to society], then to break the promise will be dharma.” This is a maxim of the Vipra Age, not the Kïatriya Age. THE VIPRA AGE 157

The vipras contend that society should give importance not to shásana [administration] and administrative discipline [for their own sakes], but to anushásana, which is defined Hitárthe shásanam iti anushásanam [“Anushásana is shásana for the sake of welfare”].

Patriarchy and the Caste System

In the ancient Kïatriya Age, the selection of the kïátra-pitá or sarddár [kïatriya leader] was based on his abilities as a kïatriya. This was not always achieved by peaceful means. Later the system of primogeniture was introduced to avoid divisions and conflict. The Vipra Age underwent a similar change. In the initial stage, knowledge, intelligence and scholarship were the criteria for measuring ability, on the basis of which criteria the vipra leaders were determined. Those who accepted the dominance of a particular vipra were considered to be under his protection and members of his gotra. People could change their clan if they chose. This means that people could abandon the protection of one clan leader, going outside his leadership and guardianship, and accept the supremacy of another vipra; this was called gotratyága [leaving their gotra]. Those who gave up Vedic rituals for non-Aryan Tantric practices, for the sake of dharma, were told, Átmagotraî parityájya Shivagotraî pravishatu [“Leave your own gotra and enter Shivagotra”]. In Asia in those days there was a great Aryan vipra called Kashyapa. (Was Káshyapa Ságar, the Caspian Sea, named after him?) Many non-Aryans and non-Vedics accepted him as their leader and accepted his guardianship. They all became members of the Káshyapa gotra. Subsequently Aryans and non-Aryans who did not know or had doubts about which clan 158 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 they belonged to used to be treated as members of the Káshyapa gotra. In the Kïatriya and Vipra Ages, the matrilineal order continued to prevail in societies where close unity was necessary to protect people from external enemies and from the oppression of hostile nature. Even after the introduction of the gotra-pravar system as a result of contact with the Aryans, matriarchy did not die out. It did not suffer any serious set-back until much later, at the end of the [Vipra] Age. In the Vipra Age, contact with the patrilineal Aryans and other groups led to great disorder among those groups who followed the matrilineal system. Once the foundations of the Vipra Age had been firmly laid, they either abandoned the matrilineal system altogether or evolved a blending of the matrilineal and patrilineal systems. Today a matriarchal order still prevails among the Khasias and certain other primitive tribes due to the relatively late-coming and insignificant influence of the patriarchal Aryans. Traces of matriarchy may still be found among the Malayalese, who live in remote areas in the south of India. On the other hand, the Bengalees.25 despite being fundamentally [Austrico-Dravidian], have, for the most part, accepted patriarchy because they came in close contact with the Aryans, although their social system is a blending of the patrilineal and matrilineal systems. In the innermost part of their social life, Bengalees still give predominance to mother, not to father, but on the surface their society is patriarchal. Since the usages, customs, physical features and nature of Bengalees and Malayalese are very similar, many believe that

25 Although the languages of Bengal and Kerala [Bengali and Malayalam respectively] have been deeply influenced by Sanskrit, the social lives of the people of these two regions have remained largely uninfluenced by the Aryans. The reason for this is the fundamental difference in mental make-up between the Bengalees and Keralites on the one hand and the Aryans on the other. THE VIPRA AGE 159 the people of Bengal settled in Kerala and founded Malayalese society. This is a subject for scholars to research. But in vipra society also the system of selecting the vipra leader became a hereditary one in course of time. There were two fundamental reasons for this. First, the vipras had gained the opportunity to earn money without doing physical labour, and wanted to pass this privilege on to their descendants, who in their turn would not let go the chance to fill their stomachs without working. Secondly, the kïatriyas and the shúdras not only revered the intelligent, erudite vipras whom they followed, they also viewed the vipras’ descendants with respect and gave them places of honour. Irrespective of their abilities, the children of the vipras began to receive almost the same respect as their fathers. The practice of honouring incompetent vipras for reasons of heredity eventually led to the establishment of the caste system in Hindu society.26

Simple Philosophies and Contrived Philosophies

In the Vipra Age the king sat on the throne, but in reality it was the vipra ministers who ruled. If a king went against his vipra ministers, they would take the help of the common people or some other group of kïatriyas and replace him with a king of their choice. The kings were puppets in the hands of their ministers, standing up and sitting down when they pulled the strings. The vipras did not want a democracy or republic exactly as we understand the terms. Whenever the possibility arose for a moment to establish a democracy or republic, the vipras would install the puppet kïatriya of their choice on the throne.

26 The caste system was first brought to India by the migrating Aryans about 10,000 years ago, but gradually it became accepted. –Eds.

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The vipras would try to take military assistance from the less-intelligent kïatriyas in order to continue their march of exploitation unhindered. In the early part of the Vipra Age they created conflicts between one state and another and between one king and another centring around the conflicts between one religion and another. In order to continue their exploitation without hindrance, they tried to confuse people’s judgement by shouting religious slogans and issuing various types of decree, thus inciting one group against another or one state against another in their effort to expand their area of exploitation; and in this they succeeded. The terrible wars and tremendous bloodshed that occurred in the world due to the kïatriyas’ lust for power pale into insignificance before those that occurred in the Middle Ages at the direct or indirect instigation of the vipras, the standard-bearers of religion. In any society or governmental system where vipra rule lasted for a long time, different kinds of religion or moral philosophy came into being under their aegis. Initially the vipras had introduced religion for the purpose of exploitation and had tried to mislead people through their grandiloquence. However, the new philosophies that emerged in the course of time as a result of clash among vipras propagating different doctrines, came to be somewhat spiritual in appearance, though the tendency to exploit remained beneath the surface. This form of religion, like the form socialism adopted, was in fact a great hoax. With this approach, intellectual satans, instead of exploiting the faithful directly, expanded their sphere of exploitation behind a psychologically-designed mask of detachment from or indifference to worldly things. Vipras with a simple type of philosophy used to say, “Your father deserves to go to heaven, so make sure that we perform his funeral service,” or “The soul of your father needs subtle food. Give us ordinary food and we will send it to him in a subtle form.” THE VIPRA AGE 161

But later on the cunning vipras, whom I call intellectual satans, tried to turn the minds of the people from practical reality towards an imaginary void by preaching contrived philosophies. The essence of their voluminous treatises and verbose annotations to lengthy aphorisms was: the world is an illusion; therefore renounce the world and do not be attracted to its illusions. Become desireless, detached and self-abnegating by offering all your wealth at the feet of the vipras. Of course such philosophies did not preach that the world was also illusory for the vipras who received the offerings – clearly because it was through such ploys that they were able to achieve their objectives. In places where, for whatever reason, intellectual clashes among the vipras were not very intense, their philosophy was very simple. They would say to the people directly, “I am the angel or incarnation of God. The things I have said are not the words of a human being but the words of God,” or “I have received the divine revelation that you will eat this and not that, worship in this way and not that, and offer this to God. If you obey my commandments, God will bless you and you will go to heaven; otherwise you will be burnt to death in the fire of hell.” The people were fooled this easily. The vipras used to tempt people with an imaginary heaven and inject in them the fear of an imaginary hell. In this way they would accomplish their objectives; their exploitation would proceed smoothly; and moreover the fear they aroused in people’s minds would turn those people into fanatics. It is noticeable that in the fanatical religious communities that we see in the world today, there is very little intellectual clash among the vipras. However, whenever fanatical religious communities made systems of social rules and regulations – in other words, whenever they made some effort to build a social structure – their social systems would be stronger than those of societies which followed a subtle philosophical theory or those 162 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of kïatriya societies. Where there were intellectual clashes among the vipras, each vipra would have his own supporters, and their different supporters would never think of themselves as belonging to the same group. As a result those vipras were unable to build a strong social structure. Though their philosophies may or may not have had some good in them, the Buddhists and Hindus were unable to build strong societies because of their subtle mentality.

Unity in Society

Although due to fiercely-opposing views little social unity existed among the vipras, the exploitative vipras used to form unholy alliances to further their mutual self-interest. Such alliances were much more dangerous than the alliances formed by the kïatriyas. Whenever any ideology opposing exploitation tries to raise its head, the vested-interest group concerned will resist. But in cases where the exploitation which the ideology opposes is that of the vipras, it faces the strongest resistance of all, because that resistance is supported by the intellectuals. Groups of vipras may fight against each other, but they will quickly unite against an ideology that opposes vipra exploitation. For example, orthodox Muslims united with orthodox Brahmans against Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; orthodox Sanátaniis united with orthodox Christians against Raja Ramamohana.27 Thus it is clear that even when vipras belong to different groups, they readily unite to protect their mutual interests. At least in this respect they no doubt demonstrate more unity than kïatriyas. I have already said that the vipras lack a sense of discipline; at least they are far less disciplined than the kïatriyas.

27 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: 1486-1534; Raja Ramamohana: 1772-1833. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 163

However, they do have a subtle feeling of unity based on ideology. A certain sense of unity and discipline is of course necessary to intellectually exploit the kïatriyas and the shúdras – and that the vipras certainly have. The kïatriyas think that the intellectual vipras kill their enemies using their cunning brains instead of weapons. From their perspective I would describe the vipra mentality as definitely mean, because it is not difficult to recognize inimical kïatriyas by their manners and features, but it is extremely difficult to understand the schemes that go on in the minds of inimical vipras. The vipras’ sense of family discipline may be greater than that of the kïatriyas; the vipra social structure is also stronger than that of the kïatriyas; but that structure is not based on equality and love for humanity. It is based instead on the influence intellectuals gain over the ignorant using clever diplomacy. Vipras earn far greater reputations through their intelligence than the kïatriyas do through their military power. The amusing thing is that the shúdras and kïatriyas who are militarily defeated by kïatriyas understand that they have lost – but the vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras who are intellectually defeated by vipras generally do not even realize that they have lost.

Kïatriya Prestige and the Evolution of the Vipras

In their ideological struggles the kïatriyas are concerned primarily with their prestige. The psychic clash that arises out of this concern for prestige presages the eventual rise of the vipras.28 It is the main reason for the occurrence of the Vipra Age in the social cycle; but we cannot definitely say that the

28 See also the above section How the Vipras Evolve. –Eds. 164 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 physical clash of the kïatriyas or shúdras, or the psychic clash of the shúdras, play no role at all in this.

Religious Characteristics

The kïatriyas worshipped nature and regarded it as the collective form of different belligerent forces, and this concept of a collectivity came to be called Brahma.29 In their minds there was no difference between the collective form of nature and Brahma. They therefore came to regard all the phenomena of nature as expressions of Brahma. The vipras had a vague understanding of another type of expression which was beyond the realm of nature, which they called Átmá, Paramátmá, or Nirupádhika Iishvara [the Non-Attributional Controller]. According to the depth of their intellects, vipras had different ideas regarding the extent to which such expressions were beyond the realm of nature. Philosophically, this is the reason why theoretical differences exist among Iishvara, Allah, God and Jehovah. Ruh, spirit, soul and átmá are not exactly the same thing. A ruh can rise up from the grave; a spirit can move around and frighten people; a soul can come close to God and sit beside Him; while a non-attributional átmá is not bound by the bondages of time, space or person. This entity beyond the realm of nature was the contribution of the vipras. Their intellectual struggle against the hostile aspects of nature, assisted by the kïatriyas, gave them the opportunity to imagine this kind of puruïa [consciousness] entity beyond the realm of nature. The religiosity of the kïatriyas developed out of their infatuation with conquest and with acquisition. They thought

29 See also the section Factors in the Evolution of the Kïatriyas in “The Kïatriya Age”, and the following section Vipra Mentality. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 165 that if they had faith in God they would be able to acquire a great deal of worldly wealth. They would acquire it through military force and enjoy it through military force. That is why kïatriyas worshipped their imaginary gods and goddesses before going into battle or plundering wealth from others – in many cases sacrificing animals and even human beings to propitiate them. As the vipras lacked courage and valour of that kind, their spirituality was basically a fascination with acquiring occult powers. They thought that spirituality would bring them such power that their blessings would benefit people, who would then out of gratitude give the vipras a fat dividend out of whatever they had gained. They thought that spirituality could also give them the power to curse or do harm to people, who would then out of fear or devotion heap commodities at their feet. The pervasive efforts to create vipra dominance that can be observed in the stories of the puráòas are also born out of this mentality. According to some puráòas, not only human beings but Náráyaòa [God] Himself bore the footprints of the vipras on His chest. In the course of time the deceitful mentality of the vipras contributed greatly to the emergence of the vaeshyas as social exploiters. The vipras’ desire not to do any work resulted in their becoming parasites of the vaeshyas. So eventually the religious doctrines and social ideals propagated by the vipras became completely mortgaged to the wealth of the vaeshyas.

Vipra Mentality

In the vipras’ social system the idea “Live and let live” was not considered very important, nor was “Live with dignity” the main aim either. The most important thing for the vipras was to “Live by making others small” – to make slaves of others by infusing inferiority complexes into their minds in order to suck 166 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 dry their vital force and to terrorize them into submission – in order to establish their power. It is as if through the framework of society the vipras are saying: use deception, force, cunning or any other means at one’s disposal in order to perpetuate one’s exploitation, even if it results in temporary dishonour. The work of kïatriyas is to come to understand various kinds of force30 as they experience them through the medium of struggle, while the work of vipras is to view all aspects of those kinds of force from a personalized angle and then to express them in a personalized, individual way. However, the importance the vipras give to individuality is detrimental to discipline. Although the idea of discipline is inherent in the fundamental principles or ideals of the vipras, their discipline is weakened by the emphasis they place on individual views. So although from a sociological perspective vipra society is superior to kïatriya society (vipra society is, however, still not a “society” in the true sense of the term), its structure is looser because it gives greater importance to personal freedom. In vipra society people have considerable scope (though not complete scope) to express their inner feelings, and this led to an increase during the vipra period in the number of intellectual logicians’ philosophies. In the same way that the weak were exploited by the strong in kïatriya society, the less intelligent were exploited by the more intelligent in vipra society – though on paper the vipras do not approve of exploitation. The vipras who formulate social codes contend that even if society takes no action against sinners, they will still suffer the consequences of their sins in hell. Although in vipra society there is no system for eliminating the hunger of the oppressed, vipras say that it is virtuous to feed the hungry. And although in practice they

30 See also the section Factors in the Evolution of the Kïatriyas in “The Kïatriya Age”, and the above section Kïatriya Prestige and the Evolution of the Vipras. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 167 support a system which discriminates against people on the basis of high and low, on paper they accept the idea that human beings are essentially brothers and sisters. So although the vipra social system is not as strong as that of the kïatriyas, and although in practice it is generally lacking in magnanimity, on paper it is more magnanimous than that of kïatriya society. Kïatriyas cannot be said to be social parasites, but it is not incorrect to say that vipras are. Although the vipras understand the defects in their social system, they nevertheless use their grandiloquence to try to maintain it; such is the nature of vipras.

Religious Conflicts

In vipra society there is more scope for benevolence than in kïatriya society; that is to say, vipra leaders are not oblivious to the pleasure and pain of others. Vipras support those who pay respect to them and try to enhance the social status of such people with quotations from the scriptures. Of course vipras will not harm themselves for the sake of supporting others, no matter how great the logic in those people’s favour or how great the religious obligation of the vipras to do so. Needless to say, vipras will never support anybody if, in the event of that person being made great or being fully accepted by society, their own chariot of exploitation would be brought to a halt; rather they will ignore all humanitarian considerations and harm such people much more than would the kïatriyas. In the Middle Ages fanatic Catholics, who regarded non- Catholics as unbelievers, burnt them alive; and many orthodox mullahs decreed that killing an infidel was not a sin. Orthodox Sanátaniis tried to murder Lord Buddha. During the reign of Bimbisar, power-mad Buddhist monks oppressed the Hindus. Hindu Brahmans and Muslim mullahs were equally vindictive 168 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 towards Mahatma Kabir. Similarly, orthodox vipras oppressed Chandidasa, Ramamohana and Ishvarchandra Vidyasagara. Although kïatriyas acted meanly at times for the sake of their prestige, their meanness had some limit; but when vipras became mean-minded, they became totally blind. Of course out of personal interest they would support those kïatriyas who had sold their own personal force to the vipras’ glib oratory, surrendered at the vipras’ feet, and become their slaves. As regards the intellectual exploitation of others, nearly all vipras think alike, so when they operate their machinery of exploitation, quite a remarkable unity can be discerned among them. When Mahatma Buddha, Kabir, Chaitanya, Guru Nanaka and Hazrat Mohammed tried to make people aware of religious exploitation, the vipras of those times, irrespective of their religious affiliations or beliefs, united against them. Hindu priests and Muslim mullahs united to fight against Mahatma Kabir. The same thing occurred at the time of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Deva. The theory propounded by Karl Marx, which was intended to save people from exploitation, was opposed by the vaeshyas. Many poor vipras opposed it as well, because although Marxist doctrine makes some provision for vipras who perform social service, it gives no scope to social parasites. (The intellectuality of the vipras recoiled on them.) Vipras generally behave like bossy, elderly uncles; they are not prepared to behave like young, obedient nephews. Consequently vipra society was divided into many groups and sub-groups, each with differing opinions. No one was able to tolerate anyone else, and each group was busy refuting the ideas of the others. These internal clashes have been responsible for a certain amount of intellectual progress in society, but they contributed little to the development of magnanimity of mind. THE VIPRA AGE 169

Generally the vipras’ logicians’ philosophies encouraged people to find fault with others. As a result people became degraded. Even today the leaders of some so-called religious organizations spend far more time in their meetings and institutes slandering and vilifying others, using diplomatic language to conceal their exploitative intentions, than they do talking about spiritual philosophy, the nature of God or spiritual sadhana (that is, talking about real spiritual matters). But no matter how much they criticize each other, they are all believers in one doctrine, which is that it is not wrong to exploit people. Of course they put the seal of religion on their exploitation in order to further their own interests.

Cunning and Treachery

To kïatriyas life is like a game of chess, because they do what they have to do, even if it costs them their lives. The insatiable longing for victory compels them to behave in such a manner. A great, imperialistic leader and a most ordinary labourer equally welcome the call to a life of heroism and personal forcefulness. Kïatriyas try to wash away their defeats and their sense of despair in the blood of the battlefield. But vipras behave differently. Vipras regard the winning of intellectual battles and invention of new types of intellectual expression as the highest values in life, and when their minds are completely engrossed in those highest values, they do not even think of exploiting others. At such times they are even prepared to undergo great pain and suffering for the sake of their ideology or beliefs. Other vipras cash in on the names of those magnanimous and ideological vipras, finding in them an opportunity to exploit others. Whatever respect people today may have for vipras is due to those ideological vipras. This is because more than 90% of the intellectual and spiritual progress which humanity has so 170 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 far achieved has been the legacy of those magnanimous and selfless vipras. Their contributions can never be forgotten in any age. Although the vipras’ collective life is not as happy as that of the kïatriyas, they enjoy more peace. This is because they do not spend wakeful nights worrying about the possibility of mutual bloodshed. There is greater security in the society of the Vipra Age than in that of the Kïatriya Age, because despite the extensive factional strife caused by ideological differences, the social structure is comparatively strong. Vipras are always awake and alert to what is going on around them, but their ability to respond appropriately to a situation is limited, as there is a lack of coordination between their intellects and their actions. When they have someone to work for them they are able to put their feelings and ideas into action, but if they do not have workers or obedient servants or someone to provide funds, most of their ideas come to nothing. People with intellect should not need more intellect, but the vipras do need more. This is because the vipras’ intellect is in most cases unproductive intellect. Something needs to be done to create a balance between their brains and their hands and feet; yet giving them advice serves no purpose, [because] they refuse to listen. They sell their intellects for money, but they are unable to find a balance between their intellect and their actions. The vipras ascertain the strength of an enemy and then incite the obedient kïatriyas and shúdras under their control to do battle, but they themselves stay at a safe distance. During the battle the heads of the brave kïatriyas and the cowardly shúdras roll in the dust and a river of blood flows on the earth, but the bodies of the vipras do not get even scratched. At the slightest possibility of defeat, they treacherously betray the shúdras and kïatriyas under them and enter into a secret pact THE VIPRA AGE 171 with the enemy. Then they pose as peace-lovers and put the stigma of having fomented the war on the kïatriyas. Thus vipra history is a history of adroit traitors. Within that history a high degree of intelligence is to be found, but no greatness. In it there are weakness, cowardice and ingratitude; and although there is cleverness, that cleverness is tarnished by selfishness.

The Rise of the Vaeshyas

Because the vipras have so much confidence in their presence of mind they fail to think about the future; consequently they rarely bother to accumulate wealth. They think that they will always be able to make some arrangement in any situation. But this overconfidence leads to their downfall. When real danger arrives and their presence of mind fails them, they have to sell themselves to anyone with any kind of wealth. The vaeshyas, though endowed with less intelligence, begin to control the vipras with their capital. The subservient vipras then occupy themselves in increasing the wealth of the vaeshyas. Although they lack the capacity to accumulate wealth themselves, the vipras explain to the vaeshyas how to increase their wealth. The vipras show the vaeshyas all the straightforward and dirty ways of killing and cheating others that had escaped the vaeshyas’ attention. The vaeshyas evade taxes and indulge in black marketeering, smuggling and adulterating food and medicine, and increase their profits by paying bribes, but it is the vipras, grovelling at the feet of the vaeshyas, who supply the brains and the techniques behind these activities. But in the course of time the vipras lose even their intellectual originality. They become servants of the vaeshyas, agents of capitalism. In the vaeshya-dominated society the 172 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 vipras become like the shúdras and kïatriyas: mere beasts of burden who carry bags of sugar without ever tasting its sweetness. The capitalist vaeshyas gradually wrest the right to lead society out of the hands of the vipras, and establish their dominance using the vipras’ intellectual force. Almost everywhere in the world the vaeshyas support democracy rather than monarchy, because in a monarchy the administration cannot be as easily influenced. People regard the bravery, tradition, noble birth and kïatriya nature of a monarch with respect, or with a mixture of devotion and fear. For this reason they do not like to oppose a monarch unless he or she does something which severely undermines the interests of the people. If the monarch demonstrates even a little concern for the public interest, the lives and properties of the vaeshyas in that kingdom may at any time be endangered. In a party dictatorship or any other type of dictatorship, the dictator has to take into account the interests of the people. Even oppressive dictators cannot afford to ignore the welfare of the state, otherwise they will lose power. But in a democracy there is no danger of this. The unintelligent kïatriyas and ignorant shúdras are easily duped by the mind-stupefying, life-enchaining propaganda of the vaeshyas, assisted by their vipra servants. Even the vipras, despite their intelligence and despite whatever they may say or think, support the vaeshyas out of fear or due to lack of a proper alternative. Thus in a democratic structure, particularly in a structure where downfallen vipras and kïatriyas are few in number and ignorant shúdras form the majority, the vaeshyas can easily win votes. During vaeshya rule the vipras’ intellect remains intact; it neither sleeps nor becomes rusty. However, though the vipras have intellect, they do not have the courage to apply it, because crude worldly bondages hold them tightly, like the grip of an octopus. It can therefore be said that the day that the vipras THE VIPRA AGE 173 submit to the vaeshyas, the Vipra Age dies, even if the vipras themselves do not. The blood-sucking vaeshyas order the vipras whom they hire to write voluminous books which artfully distort the truth. They try to portray as mean and sub-human those who oppose the vaeshyas and demand the right to live. In order to keep their machinery of exploitation running, the vaeshyas produce deadly weapons with the help of mercenary vipras. On the orders of their vaeshya overlords, vipra scientists willingly or unwillingly take up the task of making weapons in their laboratories that have the potential to destroy human civilization. Although the vipras understand what is going on, they cannot do anything about it. They look up towards heaven, hoping to see the arrival of better days. They think, “When will the downfallen vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras unitedly save human civilization from the all-devouring greed of the vaeshyas. When will people realize that it is not the desire of providence for some to exploit others.” Due to the utter despair they feel, the subservient vipras gradually become consumed with remorse recalling how they themselves once exploited others. The economic exploitation of the vaeshyas relegates the vipras to the level of intellectual satans, and the money of the vaeshyas controls the brains of those satans. In the Vaeshya Age intellectual progress occurs on many levels: new inventions are brought forth, new types of deadly weapon are invented, and people learn how to produce many types of commodity to increase comfort. Many people believe that these things are creations of the Vipra Age, but actually they are expressions of the Vaeshya Age. The vipras who sell themselves to the vaeshyas for money produce such items at their behest. 174 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

A deep analysis reveals that many of those whose creative and inventive ability once commanded the respect of innumerable people become dependent upon the mercy of the vaeshyas for their food and clothing. Poets and [authors] write according to the dictates of their vaeshya publishers or in the hope of winning prizes from the vaeshya-controlled governments. Artists wield their brushes according to the demands of the market or are compelled to produce commercial art, neglecting more subtle art forms in the process. Instead of writing the truth, journalists turn day into night and night into day according to the wishes of profiteering newspaper publishers because they are afraid of losing their jobs. They go against their own consciences and pervert the truth in order to help unworthy people become leaders. They create spectacular lies with their pens. Of course there is another side to all this. If vipras engage themselves in intellectual development and research, it is difficult for them to meet their material needs. Because the vaeshyas finance them, this problem is solved, and they are able to work free of worry. But naturally the vaeshyas do not extend their economic support in a disinterested way. Their ulterior motive is to establish themselves in society, and because of this the Vipra Age comes to an end.

Economic Liberation

The subservient vipras employ all their intellectual power to increase the wealth of the vaeshyas in exchange for the basic necessities they need to fill their bellies. Millionaire vaeshyas employ vipras at low wages in order to increase their wealth; with the help of these vipras they build up networks of adulteration, black marketeering and smuggling. After the vaeshyas secure the allegiance of the vipras, they enlist them to help them consolidate the capitalistic social THE VIPRA AGE 175 structure and philosophy. The contemporary Bhúdán movement31 is an example of this type of philosophy; it is supported by the vaeshyas and propagated by the vipras under their control. As a result of this kind of movement, efforts to fight the exploitation of the vaeshyas decline because people think, “Why fight against rich people when they voluntarily distribute their land and wealth to the poor?” This aversion to fighting will somewhat lengthen the Vaeshya Age; because as the vaeshyas know full well, most of their donations are not genuine, but exist on paper only – and whenever they make genuine donations, they realize double the amount as profits in some other way. In the Vaeshya Age this type of rotten philosophy gets widely trumpeted in the newspapers. Attempts are also made to mislead students by including such harmful philosophies in textbooks. The agents of the vaeshyas attempt to awaken respect and devotion for vaeshyas in children’s minds by depicting them in textbooks as symbols of peace, love and humanity. To accomplish this objective a new type of nationalism based on economics is created which is totally different from both the nationalism of the Kïatriya Age, based on personal force and family glory, and that of the Vipra Age, based on learning. The nationalism of the Vaeshya Age leads to a form of imperialism which is extremely dangerous for the unity of the human race. Although the vipras grovelling at the feet of the vaeshyas wield great authority at various levels of society as the servants of capitalistic imperialism, the vaeshyas never entrust them with the responsibility of leading society or structuring the economy. Only in this way can one easily understand whether a country or state is in the Vaeshya Age. It is not always the case

31 In the Bhúdán movement launched by Vinoba Bhave, an attempt was made to convince landlords to donate land to poor, landless people. (Bhú means “land” and dán means “donate”.) –Eds. 176 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 that a state controlled by the vaeshyas is democratic. One indication that is clear is that the vaeshyas always keep the collection and distribution of finance and the corresponding ministerial posts in the hands of orthodox vaeshyas. They never delegate these responsibilities to a learned and experienced vipra economist, because it is their own systems of collection and distribution of finance that provide them the opportunity to establish themselves. Thus in the vaeshya social system, vipra scholars are nothing but paid planners and intellectual servants appointed to materialize those plans. Whenever, after popular acceptance of the vaeshya-created social system, it became apparent that vipras were trying to free themselves from the rule and exploitation of the vaeshyas, the vaeshyas would buy the support of the masses, rub the noses of the rebellious vipras in the dirt, and then replace them with a group of sycophantic vipras. The vaeshyas have repressed unrest and discontent among agricultural and industrial labourers, as well as political revolution, with the help not only of their vipra hirelings, but of kïatriyas and shúdras as well. In fact, of all the classes, the vaeshyas have made the most extensive use of the policy of divide and rule. 32 For example, when a group of vipras vociferously demanded an investigation into the mysterious death of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee, another group of vipras immediately diverted their steam by increasing the tram fares in Calcutta [now Kolkata] and at the same time starting a movement to oppose the increase.33 Because of this, those

32 Divide and rule is the policy of maintaining control over one’s subordinates or opponents by encouraging dissent among them, thereby preventing them from uniting in opposition. –Eds. 33 After the mysterious death of Shyamaprasad Mukherjee (1901-1953), who was originally from Bengal and had a large following there, his colleagues and supporters demanded the investigation. However, a group of Bengali politicians from an opposing political party that was in power in West Bengal at the time were instructed by their national leadership to instigate the agitation in Kolkata. –Eds. THE VIPRA AGE 177 typical vaeshyas who were directly or indirectly responsible for Shyamaprasad’s death escaped punishment. The discriminatory measures adopted by employers or states ruled by vaeshyas to suppress labour agitations are generally known to every educated person. To disrupt the plans and intellectual movements of one group of vipras, a second group of vipras are appointed as spies or informers. Such spies or informers do not work out of ideological inspiration but in order to fill their stomachs. They are merely paid servants of the vaeshyas. The efforts of intelligent vipras or brave kïatriyas to escape from the influence of the vaeshyas can be called the vikránti [counter-evolution] or the prativiplava [counter-revolution] of the vipras or kïatriyas. Some people consider what happened recently in Hungary as counter-revolution, but actually it was not.34 It was a vipra revolution against kïatriya rule. It failed because factors relating to time, place and person could not be prepared properly. Those in power called it counter-revolution in order to belittle it. In India at present the Vaeshya Age is in full swing. But because there is not sufficient consciousness among the exploited vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras – and because the clever vaeshyas of India, having learned from the experiences of other countries and having become cautious, often employ some psychology and exploit people indirectly rather than directly – the revolution to end the Vaeshya Age has not yet taken place. What to speak of revolution, even the need for revolution has not yet been felt properly among intellectuals. At present they are in a hesitant frame of mind. They are waiting for the

34 The abortive Hungarian revolution occurred in 1954-1955. Russian troops were sent to Hungary to crush the revolt. –Eds.

178 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 auspicious day when the Vaeshya Age will end naturally through kránti [evolution], without any struggle. This mentality is reflected in the support which a group of intellectuals extend to the Sarvodaya movement 35 and Gandhism. They deliberately ignore the fact that the Sarvodaya movement and Gandhism will only increase the period of their suffering. There is also a group of leaders who have genuine sympathy for the masses and who do not in their hearts support the Sarvodaya movement or Gandhism; they nevertheless believe that the vaeshyas will be removed from power without a struggle through their plans for a welfare state. I am not suggesting that their ideas are totally irrational, because they do have an example before them. Great Britain is moving towards socialism by accepting the ideals of a welfare state.36 If it is possible there, why shouldn’t it be possible here? It is natural to ask this question, because in the rotation of the social cycle it is not imperative for revolution to occur. A change from one age to another can also occur through evolution. However, although it is theoretically possible to establish a welfare state or genuine economic freedom through evolution, in practice it will not work. It is true that in Great Britain some of the minimum requirements of life are being provided to the people, but how great the difference is between rich and poor! Clearly their social system is capitalistic. The exploited and disgruntled people are given a small amount of sympathy to appease them. They are given a small taste of the dainties and delicacies, but their stomachs are never full.

35 In the Sarvodaya movement started by Jayprakash Narayan (as in the Bhúdán movement), an attempt was made to convince landlords to donate land to poor, landless people. (Sarva means “all” and udaya means “rise”.) –Eds. 36 See also the section Democratic Change in “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds.

THE VIPRA AGE 179

The masses in India face greater privations than the masses in Britain. Due to a lack of political and economic consciousness and the confusion created by the misleading propaganda of the Sarvodaya movement and Gandhism, the people of India may continue to be complacent for some time more, misguided by the false promises of the agents of capitalism. However, this situation will not continue for long. Because rich people have the opportunity to purchase votes, it is not easy for leaders who are genuinely concerned about the people to become members of parliament. It is therefore not possible to eradicate the sufferings of the people of India by enacting laws befitting a genuine welfare state. It is not possible to bring about the economic liberation of India through the present democratic structure.

Divisive Isms

The predominance of dishonest people over honest is far greater in the Vaeshya Age even than it was in the Vipra Age. The vaeshyas use most of their capital and privileged status to deprive others of the wealth they earn through their hard labour. (Here “labour” certainly includes intellectual labour.) Just as the vipras use their intellects to stupefy and manipulate the kïatriyas’ vitality, the vaeshyas still more ruthlessly turn the vipras, as well as everybody else, into beasts of burden. When the Vaeshya Age begins after the Vipra Age, and the vipras and kïatriyas helplessly sell themselves to the vaeshyas, the vipras and kïatriyas clearly understand that they are sold. They are like chickens that have just been sold to the hungry chicken-fancier. Only the shúdras fail to realize that they are sold. Although the vipras and kïatriyas know what is happening, they nevertheless accept the dominance of the vaeshyas due to selfishness, infighting and a lack of economic knowledge. The 180 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 vaeshyas are fully aware of the disunity and other weaknesses of the vipras and kïatriyas, and they use this knowledge to perpetuate their hold on power; they use their financial power to incite one group against another. The kïatriyas, out of obligation to the vaeshyas, lose their lives in needless battles and fracases of different kinds; while the vipras, similarly fed and sheltered by the vaeshyas, keep such factional conflicts permanently alive by creating various types of sentiment such as casteism, communalism, provincialism and nationalism, and by composing the necessary scriptures to accomplish this. It should be clearly understood that the vaeshyas encourage all isms that divide people. Casteism, communalism, provincialism and nationalism are supported mainly by the money of the vaeshyas. They finance such isms to keep people divided so that they cannot unite and protest against their exploitation. The funny thing is that the vaeshyas purchase the vital energy of the kïatriyas and the intellectual skills of the vipras with money and use that energy and those skills to perpetuate their hold on power and turn the kïatriyas and vipras into long- term slaves. The vaeshyas’ financial power carries more weight than the power of speech and intellectual power of the vipras, not to mention the physical power of the kïatriyas; therefore the vaeshyas have no trouble buying the vipras’ brains and the kïatriyas’ brawn with their money. Among those who possess knowledge, intellect, great courage or physical strength, there is hardly anyone who has the courage, or sometimes even the intelligence, needed to take the financial risks necessary to earn money. The vaeshyas understand this weakness of the vipras and the kïatriyas. They lull their discrimination to sleep by praising the kïatriyas’ valour and the vipras’ intellect. Then afterwards they can easily buy them off. In a vaeshya state, poets, scientists, [authors] and great heroes are awarded prizes, medals and titles for this very THE VIPRA AGE 181 reason. By participating in all this, the vipras and the kïatriyas surrender all their endowments at the feet of the vaeshyas for a little money or some name and fame; and at the same time feel they are fortunate. They fail to realize that they are digging their own graves.

1963, Jamalpur From Human Society Part 2

THE VAESHYA AGE

Both the kïatriyas and the vipras like to enjoy material wealth, though their methods of accumulating material objects are different. The vaeshyas, however, are more interested in possessing material objects than enjoying them. Looking at their possessions, or thinking about them, gives them a certain peace of mind. So in the Vaeshya Age the practical value of material goods is less than at any other time. They gradually become inert both literally and in financial terms. This is the greatest curse of the Vaeshya Age, because the less the mobility of material goods, that is, the greater their stagnation in different spheres, the more harmful it is for the common people. In the Kïatriya and Vipra Ages it is very rare for people to die of starvation while grains rot in the warehouses. Although there is disparity of wealth in the Kïatriya and Vipra Ages, kïatriyas and vipras do not kick others into a pit of privation, poverty and starvation while they themselves enjoy their wealth. This is because they see other people as tools to be used for the purpose of exploitation, but do not see them as the wellspring of exploitation as the vaeshyas do. To a vaeshya, the shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras are not only tools to be used for exploitative purposes, they are the wellspring of exploitation as well. The vaeshyas gain material objects of enjoyment through the physical efforts of others; or directly through mental efforts; or sometimes through such physical efforts, sometimes through mental efforts, and sometimes through both simultaneously, according to the situation. So in this respect the vaeshyas are similar to the vipras. However, the difference is that when the vipras acquire objects of enjoyment, they do not let others know that that is their intention; they resort to various types of THE VAESHYA AGE 183 logic, quote from the scriptures, fake indifference, and employ many other techniques. The vaeshyas do not do such things. In this regard at least, they are more straightforward than the vipras. They do not hide their intentions, which are to accumulate an increasing number of objects of enjoyment. As vipras are to some extent guided by conscience, they do not utilize their intellects solely to accumulate objects of enjoyment. If they develop a greater degree of conscience or if their intellects increase, they will often neglect to do this altogether. But this never happens with vaeshyas, first of all because they are somewhat lacking in conscience. And secondly, if any of them do have a bit more conscience, they will satisfy it by making donations according to their convenience, priorities or inclination, but they will never stop accumulating objects of enjoyment. A vaeshya with a conscience may donate 100,000 rupees at a moment’s notice, but while buying and selling he will not easily let go of even a paisa. The consequences of accumulating material objects of enjoyment are not the same for vaeshyas as they are for vipras, either. Because they generally spend some time thinking about higher pursuits, vipras do not ideate on objects of enjoyment. But vaeshyas do. As a result they one day take the form of matter.

Vaeshya Mentality

Whatever glory the vaeshyas gain, they gain at the risk of their lives. In this regard they are definitely greater than the vipras and may also be greater than the kïatriyas. The vaeshyas always keep in mind the possible ups and downs in life and their personal profit and loss; thus they develop the capacity to adapt to a wide variety of situations. They are neither 184 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 especially attracted to luxuries nor repelled by hardships. This is the key to their success. Vaeshyas are fighters, but their methods of fighting are different from those of the kïatriyas or even the vipras. Actually they lack the powerful personalities of the kïatriyas and are in fact the opposite – weak personalities. They do not hesitate to sell their personal force, their society, their nation, the prestige of women, or national welfare, which the kïatriyas would never do. Vipras limit their fighting to the intellectual sphere, but this is not exactly the case with vaeshyas. Although they also fight intellectually, they do so only to make money. If a vipra and a vaeshya ever engage in a purely intellectual fight, the vipra will win. But if the fight is between their urges for financial gain, the vaeshya will win; the vaeshyas will lock the vipras’ minds up in their iron safes. Vaeshyas perceive the world through greedy eyes. They do not have the capacity to correctly or fully understand worldly issues. They do not understand anything except the economic value of things. Their commercial outlook is not confined to the material world only; it also includes the psychic and spiritual worlds. Even though vaeshyas, as a kind of intellectual, have the capacity to acquire psychic wealth, they do not utilize this capacity properly. However, some vaeshyas do find quite subtle ways to make money – it all depends on the degree of their intellect.1 Though they may have a developed intellect or a

1 In the winter of the Bengali year 1368 [about the end of 1961 or the beginning of 1962 BCE], some opportunistic astrologers (vipras) declared that the world would soon come to an end following the conjunction of several planets in a particular house of the zodiac. Perhaps they thought that the public would be frightened by such a declaration, and just prior to the cataclysm might renounce everything and donate a large part of their wealth to the vipras in an effort to ensure that they would go to heaven. This plan of the Indian vipras met with some success; out of fear many sinners undertook charitable activities. The frightened vaeshyas arranged sacrificial fires presided over by the astrologer-priests. They thought that perhaps the smoke THE VAESHYA AGE 185 desire to do good, they never forget that their primary aim is to make money. They worship whichever god makes them rich. After earning tens of millions of rupees by cheating people with their business acumen, they use a small part of their profit to construct temples or dharmashálas [pilgrims’ inns], because they believe that this will absolve them of their sins. Vaeshyas do not like to tread the path of desireless action in order to make their minds one-pointed and realize God. They avoid or usually try to avoid the real purpose of dharma, for they do not have any sense of or feeling for religion other than some degree of fear of God. If this fear decreases, they begin to behave like mean-minded demons. In such a state of mind they can commit any type of sin to satisfy their hunger for money. A mind which runs after money moves in very crooked ways. Although this movement involves intense effort, due to the crudeness of its objective the movement cannot be straightforward: it is crooked, extremely crooked. Due to their intense effort vaeshyas are mutative by nature, and due to the crudeness of their objectives they are static by nature; thus they are a combination of the mutative [red] and static [black] forces and are symbolized by the colour yellow. Though vaeshyas make greater efforts than do kïatriyas, their efforts are more psychic than physical.

Deadly Social Parasites

Vaeshyas believe that only a few people can accumulate material wealth, depriving the rest. Thus there will always be from the sacrificial fires would change the course of the planets concerned, moving them out of the zodiacal house they were in and thereby preventing the destruction. The commercial mentality of the vaeshyas (capitalists) was glaringly evident in their temporary religious fervour. Along with this there was another amusing thing I noticed. For use in the sacrificial fires the vaeshyas sold unsaleable ghee, which was unfit for human consumption, at exorbitant prices. 186 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 only a few vaeshyas, while those who are the objects and tools of their exploitation form the majority. Like exploited beasts of burden which carry bags of sugar, in their crippled state of mind the majority feel that they do not have the right to taste the sweetness. This feeling is the greatest ally of the vaeshyas, so directly or indirectly they always try to nurture this type of feeling in the minds of the majority. Consequently they propagate various types of isms and ethereal theories with the help of the vipras in their pay whom they have reduced to the level of shúdras. When the majority, unable to tolerate this exploitation any longer or find any other way out, desperately leap into action, the Vaeshya Age comes to an end. But it takes a long time for downtrodden people to understand that the vaeshyas are the parasites of society. Hence thorough preparation is required to end the Vaeshya Age. By vaeshyas I mean here the low type of vaeshyas. However, I am not prepared to call those who are not low vaeshyas, “high” vaeshyas; because while it is true that they give donations as well as exploit, and that society may be benefited by their donations, that will not bring the people who have died from their exploitation back to life! The vaeshyas increase their wealth by buying the back- breaking labour of the shúdras, the powerful personalities of the kïatriyas, and the intellect of the vipras, according to their needs. The shúdras, just like beasts, sell their physical labour in exchange for mere subsistence. Because they sell their labour, society survives and moves ahead. The powerful personalities of the kïatriyas build and maintain the social structure with the labour extracted from the shúdras. Through their intellect the vipras utilize the personal force of the kïatriyas, and through their money and capitalistic mentality the vaeshyas utilize the vipras’ intellect to increase their wealth. The vaeshyas do not confront any social problem directly. Just as they buy the labour of the shúdras, the personal force of THE VAESHYA AGE 187 the kïatriyas and the intellect of the vipras with money, so they endeavour to solve all social problems with money. They do not win victory on the battlefield; they buy it with money. In poverty-stricken democratic countries, they buy votes. As they accomplish everything with money, their vital force comes from money. They therefore take all sorts of risks in life to accumulate money. For money they can sacrifice their conscience, their sense of good and bad, right and wrong, at any moment. So in order to save the exploited shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras from the vaeshyas, money, which is the source of all their power, has to be taken out of their hands. Of course it is not wise to think that all social problems will be solved just by taking money away from the vaeshyas. Although they will have lost their money, they will still have their greedy, money-making mentality. Thus the structure of society will have to be built in such a way, and society will have to progress in such a way (maintaining balance among time, place and person), that the greedy, money-making mentality of the vaeshyas is rendered ineffectual. This cannot be accomplished by persuasion or by delivering philosophical talks. Their money-making intellect will have to be rendered ineffectual through physical force, and they will have to be shown the divine truth and made to sit and perform spiritual practices to awaken their pinnacled intellect. To the vaeshyas the social body is merely a machine for making money. The vipras are the head, the kïatriyas are the arms, and the shúdras are the legs of the machine. The authors of scripture may say that the vaeshyas are the thighs of the machine, but I would say that this is incorrect. Of course the vaeshyas are part of the social body, but they are not part of the money-making machine within that social body. They are separate. They supply the oil, water and fuel to the machine, but they take far more from the machine than they spend on it. They think, “As I supply oil, water and fuel to the machine to 188 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 keep it running, all of the output is mine. My money built the machine, and with my money I can destroy it. If necessary I will get more work out of it by supplying it with more oil, water and fuel, and if I no longer need it I will send it to the junkyard.” If, in the history of human struggle, the role of the vipras is one of parasitic dependence on others, I cannot find words to describe the role of the vaeshyas. Both the vipras and the vaeshyas exploit society, but the vipra exploiters are not as terrible as the vaeshya exploiters. The vaeshyas are like a deadly parasite on the tree of society which tries to kill the tree by sucking dry all its vital sap. But if the tree dies, the parasite will also die. The vaeshya parasites understand this and therefore try to ensure the survival of society by making some donations; they build temples, mosques, churches and pilgrims’ inns, give little bonuses, feed the poor; etc. Calamity only comes when they lose their common sense out of excessive greed and try to suck society completely dry. Once the social body falls unconscious, the vaeshyas will die along with the rest of the body. Otherwise, before allowing themselves to die, the exploited shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras can unite to destroy the vaeshyas. This is the rule.

Crooked Intellect

The path of the vipras is crooked and so is the path of the vaeshyas. The difference between them is that since the vaeshyas’ crooked intellect has no trace of spiritual consciousness, it often proves to be suicidal. A dreadful calamity will befall society if those who have intellectual capacity squander it by running after mundane pleasures instead of utilizing it to realize spiritual bliss – if they utilize all their intellect to fatten themselves by sucking the vital juice of others. So there can be no social welfare until this THE VAESHYA AGE 189 type of mentality is eradicated or rendered ineffectual through circumstantial pressure. No political leader or governmental or social system can build a welfare state, a socialistic state or an ideal society if they neglect this fundamental disease. If those who go around looking for opportunities to enlarge their stomachs by sucking the vital force of others continue to control society or the nation through their own group of sinners, what can one expect to see in such a society except a horrid picture of hell! Most of the evils that occur in society are created due to the exploitation carried out by the vaeshyas. In order to increase the size of their bank balances, the vaeshyas create an artificial scarcity of such items as food, clothing and other essential commodities, and then earn a profit by black marketeering. Those who do not have the capacity to purchase commodities at exorbitant prices steal, commit armed robberies and engage in other criminal activities in order to obtain the minimum requirements of their lives. Poor people deprived of food and clothing work as the agents of the greedy vaeshyas engaged in black marketeering and smuggling. When these poor people are caught, they are the ones who get punished, while the vaeshyas escape thanks to the power of their money. Such ill-fated poor people lose their consciences and descend deeper into sin. Society condemns these sinners, while the rich vaeshyas, the instigators of the sinners, play the role of public leaders. They wear garlands, set off verbal fireworks, and shrilly exhort the masses to make greater sacrifices.

Prostitution

The repugnant social disease of prostitution is also a creation of the vaeshyas. As a result of excessive wealth the vaeshyas lose their self-control and their character on the one hand; and 190 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 many unfortunate women are forced by poverty to descend to this sinful occupation on the other hand.2 In India prostitution has been outlawed, but every rational person knows that it cannot be stopped by legal means. Poor women who once lived in red-light districts have only fled out of fear of the law to respectable localities. As a result the sin which was previously confined to certain areas is now spreading to other parts of town. In order to eradicate this sinful occupation in India, it will be necessary to eliminate the vaeshya social system, because in 80% of cases the cause of prostitution is economic injustice. Of course if due to wrong education or base propensities people (both men and women) give indulgence to this sinful occupation, it will continue even after the eradication of economic injustices. So instead of enacting laws, the exploitation of the vaeshyas will have to be eliminated, as will other social injustices. And instead of legally banning something, a healthy outlook should be encouraged. Of course it is in the nature of a vaeshya-dominated social system that many good laws are framed just to win cheap applause from the public. However, none of these laws are strictly implemented; because if they were, it would become difficult to exploit people.

The Acquisition of Wealth

Neither the vipras nor the vaeshyas directly produce the wealth of society; instead they accumulate the wealth produced

2 See also the section The Exploitation of Women in “The Vipra Age”, where the author says: “In the Vipra Age prostitution became a profession for the first time, because women were faced with loss of respect in society, economic difficulties and other worldly problems.” So he distinguishes between the profession of prostitution, which is the creation of the vipras, and the social disease of prostitution, which is the creation of the vaeshyas. –Eds. THE VAESHYA AGE 191 by others. To say that there is a heaven-and-hell difference between their methods of acquiring wealth is to say little. The vipras use their intellect and acquire the hard-earned wealth of others in order to meet their material needs, maintain their reputation in society and protect their prestige. But the vaeshya outlook is different. They are content to simply accumulate wealth, and derive pleasure from thinking about their accumulated riches. Hence even millionaire vaeshyas sometimes neglect the bare necessities of life. They forget their hunger when they are counting their money; they forget their personal needs – their minds get absorbed – when they see the wealth they have accumulated. And as for prestige, they sell it for money without any hesitation. If a certain commodity is easily obtainable in the open market, a vaeshya will welcome a customer with folded hands, saying, “Please come in, sir, have some betel.” But when the same commodity is only available in the black market, the same vaeshya will not even recognize that customer.3 In other words, to vaeshyas money is the only thing that matters. Where money is concerned, their own prestige or the prestige of others is of no consequence. When people use their intellects over a long period of time solely to accumulate material wealth, their intellects, because they have inculcated this sort of thought in their mental bodies, gradually develop in that direction. In other words, “How can I accumulate more?” ultimately becomes their only thought. Their social spirit and sense of humanity gradually disappear until eventually they become total blood-sucking leeches. They do not retain even the tiniest scrap of humanity. At the beginning of the Vaeshya Age some social spirit still exists in them alongside the desire to make money. Whatever their motive may be, the vaeshyas do sometimes spend

3 Because the vaeshya will try to sell the item to the customer at an exorbitant price. –Eds. 192 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 generously on social service and charitable activities, but by the end of the Vaeshya Age they lose even the last vestiges of social consciousness, and as a result of their foolhardiness shúdra revolution4 occurs. At the beginning of the Vaeshya Age the vaeshyas use their money-making intellect both for social service and for accumulating money, and in these matters they take advice from other members of society. But by the end of the Vaeshya Age they become so irresponsible due to the intoxication of accumulation that they are not prepared to take advice from anyone. They use their money-making intellect solely to exploit society.

How the Vaeshyas Evolve

In the Vipra Age those who were defeated due to their lack of physical strength, courage or intellectual ability tried to discover an alternative way to live and gain social recognition. The particular type of psychic clash which arose in their minds due to their constant efforts to establish themselves developed in them their money-making intellect. This skill helped them to utilize the strength of the strong, the courage of the brave and the intellect of the intellectuals, and the more they were able to do this the more they became known as shreïíhiis.5 Here the funny thing is that the vaeshyas, who had money but no social status, were able to obtain from the vipras whom they exploited titles of respect such as shreïíhii and sádhu [honest]. (Sádhu became sáhu and today it is Sáu [a common surname].) The vipras took on the worry-free job of priests to these shreïíhiis and sadhus. They underwent austerities, performed worship and recited scripture on behalf of the

4 See “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds. 5 Shreïíhii, “man of wealth”, was coined from shreïíha, “superior man”. –Eds. THE VAESHYA AGE 193 shreïíhiis in return for money. The courageous kïatriyas took upon themselves the responsibility of being armed gatekeepers, and began to salute the shreïíhiis twice a day. Other vipras became clerks, accountants, etc.; and the shúdras became porters and labourers. Through their work they all gradually began to elevate the status of the shreïíhiis. This is an objective picture of the Vaeshya Age in every country of the world.

Pseudo-Vaeshyas

Some vipras’ economic intellect is awakened while under the patronage of the economic intellect of the vaeshyas. Such people become pseudo-vaeshyas, and towards the end of the Vaeshya Age their dominance of society becomes evident. The vipras’ crooked thinking blends with the vaeshya-like economic intellect of these pseudo-vaeshyas, but the pseudo- vaeshyas do not possess any of the good qualities of either the vaeshyas or the vipras. So although they carry on the vaeshya legacy up to the very end of the Vaeshya Age, they finally fall into utter disgrace and disrepute. In their efforts to perpetuate their exploitation without hindrance, the pseudo-vaeshyas make use not only of their economic intellect but also of whatever other intellectual capacities they possess. By hook or by crook they even seize governmental power. They then use that power as an instrument of exploitation, a cruel machine to ruthlessly pulverize the whole of society. Out of fear that their descendants may face financial difficulties in the future due to their lack of competence, they not only continue to exploit the whole of society, but also set aside for those descendants huge sums of money which remain wholly or partially unutilized. The non-utilization of capital is the worst consequence of economic exploitation. Exploited and downtrodden people who do not want to be exploited to death, revolt. Thus shúdra 194 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 revolution occurs during the period of the Vaeshya Age which is dominated by dishonest vaeshyas. The vitality of the Kïatriya Age gives way to the intellectuality of the Vipra Age, and the intellectuality of the vipras is bought for money in the Vaeshya Age. The vaeshyas buy the vipras’ intellect with money, and with the help of that intellect they build up their state, society and economic structure, putting them to work as they choose.

Generating Collective Wealth

Nothing in the world is exclusively good or exclusively bad. Is the Vaeshya Age only an age of economic exploitation? Is there nothing good in this present Vaeshya Age, and has there never been anything good in it? Although it is a fact that the vaeshyas’ economic exploitation has always surpassed their service, they have nevertheless done service, however small or insignificant it may have been. When the vipras collect something (directly or indirectly), they decide how and to what extent it can be put to use, how it can be enjoyed by the people and how it can be utilized for their welfare. But the vaeshyas collect things without thinking about how they can be utilized for social welfare. Instead they think about how to compel people through circumstantial pressure to buy those things so that they can earn money in exchange. Material goods have no practical value for the vaeshyas, except as a source of income. This type of mentality leads them to illegally hoard foodstuffs out of a greedy desire for greater profits, depriving millions of people of food and pushing them down the road towards death. We do not expect vipras to do such things. The vipras do promote their personal interests and their domination, but they do not try to deprive the shúdras and kïatriyas of a chance to live. But if the vaeshyas think of the kïatriyas or shúdras as THE VAESHYA AGE 195 thorns on the path of making money, they will deprive them of a chance, and often out of greed for greater profit indirectly kill them. Having said all this, I still contend that nothing in this world is exclusively good or bad. For any individual or collective endeavour, capital, either in the form of money or resources, is initially required. The opportunity to create such capital, to create capital in a massive way or in a widely-diversified way, comes in the Vaeshya Age. With the help of such capital, wealth can be generated for both individual and collective needs, and this is what happens. In order to raise the general standard of living in a society, state or economy, capital is required, whether the capital comes from within a particular country or from outside. No matter where it comes from, it must be controlled partly or completely by an individual. The individual controller is, of course, the vaeshya. But if, without examining how it should or should not be used, the use or control of the capital is entrusted to a government, a cooperative or a representative of the public, non-utilization or misutilization of the capital will be inevitable in all circumstances. This is one of the main reasons why capitalistic countries develop extremely rapidly in the material sphere. Furthermore, if large amounts of capital are placed under collective management, a small error on the part of the managers will lead to gross misutilization. This is the main reason why the system of collective farming, or the commune system, has failed in socialistic countries. If the ownership of wealth is taken away from individuals and placed in the hands of the state – in other words, if the vaeshya system is abolished by force – managers will not have the same control over that wealth as individual owners would.

196 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

State Capitalism

One thing more needs to be said about collective capital: collective capital does not always mean the establishment of socialism. Where collective capital means the capital of the state, if the state tries to increase its national wealth without stopping exploitation in society and without trying to increase individual wealth, increasing the national wealth will mean increasing the individual wealth of only a few people in power. Thus, although there is an increase in the per capita income, the per capita income of the poor does not increase, and the per capita income of the well-to-do does not decrease. Although one cannot support this sort of state capitalism, one cannot deny that the state has to utilize capital in order to increase the wealth of the state. If state capitalism actually increases the per capita income of every person without constantly seeking to exploit, we cannot but praise it – it can be considered exemplary socialism. After all, a state must invest capital if it wants to increase the national income. Such capital investment is clearly a vaeshya system.

Perpetuating Exploitation

The vaeshyas became established through their materialistic intellect. First they defeated the vipras through their materialistic intellect and financial machinations, then they turned them into sycophants so that they could harness their intellects in order to increase their wealth. Although the production, accumulation and distribution of things indispensable for the preservation of human life are carried out under the ownership or partial supervision of the vaeshyas, those whose labour, personal force and intellect are actually used to produce and distribute essential commodities are not vaeshyas. In order to meet their own needs those people THE VAESHYA AGE 197 mortgage their labour, personal force and intellect to the vaeshyas. The vaeshyas clearly understand that their system of exploitation will fail without the help of the shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras. Thus behind their grandiloquence the vaeshyas continue their psychological manipulations in order to perpetuate their capitalistic rule. Through this process the shúdras and kïatriyas readily become their slaves. Although the vipras understand what is happening, after a short struggle they are also compelled to surrender to the vaeshyas like a fly caught in a spider’s web. These psychological manipulations, a part of vaeshya philosophy, begin to fail only when the shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras lose their minds due to excessive exploitation. They then become desperate, blind, mindless people who completely lack conscience, intellect or rationality. One day they mercilessly smash the vaeshya structure to pieces. How or why they did it, or how the new structure will be built – these considerations, this type of thinking – never enter their minds. They only jump into the struggle in order to survive. They think, “Since there is no point in living, let us die sooner.” While this directionless revolution is going on, the condition of the shúdras, kïatriyas and vipras becomes almost the same. It is useless to expect from them anything worthy of human beings. Intellect controls strength; therefore the vipras control the shúdras and the kïatriyas. But, Annacintá camatkárá [“Wonderful are the ways of hunger”] – when even intelligent people find themselves struggling to survive, they readily sell their intelligence for money; for this reason the vipras sell themselves to the vaeshyas. They not only sell themselves, but also surrender the shúdras and the kïatriyas, whom they had previously controlled, at the holy feet of their vaeshya overlords. Without the help of the vipras, it would be virtually 198 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 impossible for the vaeshyas to force the shúdras and the kïatriyas to work. It is therefore evident that in a capitalistic structure, when the vaeshyas struggle to perpetuate their system of exploitation, they do not physically struggle, they merely spend money. Upon taking the money, the vipras then fight with their nerves, the kïatriyas with their muscles, and the shúdras with their sweat and labour. Thus it is clear that in any type of communal or other reactionary-instigated conflict, there are wealthy bosses on both sides behind the riots and fracases. The bosses themselves never take up spears, lances or axes and fight. The victory of wealth over intellect, the vipras’ surrender at the feet of the vaeshyas, does not come about in a single day. As mentioned earlier, the vipras get caught like a fly in a spider’s web; they do make some efforts to understand their situation, but finally they become so entangled in the web that their vitality gets exhausted in the struggle and they have no alternative but to surrender. They are then compelled to sing the victory songs of the vaeshyas as they beat their heads in despair. Through the power of money the vaeshyas take over all the constructive work accomplished by, or useful things built by, the intelligence and ideological commitment of the vipras, the sacrifice and personal force of innumerable kïatriyas, and the labour of countless shúdras. Sometimes the vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras seek the help of the unworthy vaeshyas in order to preserve some worthy institution. But for the sake of money, they are compelled to name the institution after those vaeshyas. However, the vaeshyas’ cunning methods of economic exploitation do encounter set-backs according to time, place and person. Whenever they see the vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras moving towards counter-evolution or counter- revolution, they adopt new forms of deception in order to save THE VAESHYA AGE 199 their position. Until an actual shúdra revolution occurs, they engage themselves untiringly in trying to discover newer and more artful methods of deception. It should be remembered that in countries where the dominant vaeshya structure is at present extremely firm and stable, the strength of that structure was not created in a day. The vaeshyas laboured a long time to build it and they will try to maintain it by any means. To expect, under such circumstances, that they will be won over by humble requests, or will voluntarily put on a loincloth and renounce the world, is sheer lunacy. Actually such things are possible if they become inspired by a great spiritual ideology; however, this would require the long-term, continuous propagation of morality- based spirituality among the vaeshyas. Intelligent people should certainly consider whether it is really rational to allow the exploitation of the masses to go on until such a day comes. The occasional charity works that the vaeshyas undertake are only a trick to maintain their exploitation. Most of their charitable activities are not inspired by humanism; their sole purpose is to keep the machinery of exploitation, that is, the vipras and the shúdras, functioning. If the vipras and the shúdras die, who will there be to exploit? The cunning vaeshyas consider such charitable activities as investments. The help that vaeshyas extend to poor people in difficult times, during floods and famines, they afterwards recover with interest. They are benefited in various ways. First, their businesses continue to run and they make good money. Secondly, people who are disgruntled with the vaeshyas’ exploitation are to some extent pacified and their wounded minds are temporarily soothed. Of course these comments do not apply to those vaeshyas who do social service out of humanitarian or spiritual inspiration. No doubt there are some honest vaeshyas who are worthy of veneration by everyone. 200 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Whatever dignity a person possesses as a human being in either the Kïatriya Age or the Vipra Age is dealt its heaviest blow in the Vaeshya Age. In the Vaeshya Age a person’s dignity is measured in terms of money. The repercussions of this defective evaluation of human beings are not confined only to the realm of dignity; they have far-reaching effects in all spheres of society. No matter how many other qualities they may possess, vipras and kïatriyas who think independently, possess a sense of dignity or are self-reliant, cannot establish themselves unless they learn to flatter the vaeshyas in a psychological way. Even the unworthy son or relative of a wealthy person has the opportunity to sit at the head of society, and through the power of money an unattractive daughter is properly married to a good bridegroom. A good marriage cannot be arranged even for the sons of the poor, intelligent and educated though they may be, let alone the daughters of the poor. In fact in the Vaeshya Age people cannot hope to be respected unless they are rich. Those who hope for respect or have gained it, depend or have depended on the mercy of the vaeshyas.

Yasyásti vittaî sah narah kuliinah; Sa paòìitah sah shrutavána guòajiôah. Sa eva vaktá sa ca darshaniiyah; Sarve guòáh káiôcaòamáshrayanti.

[Those who have wealth are high-caste, are well-educated, possess many abilities, are good orators and are good-looking. They have all these qualities because they have money.]

The methods of social exploitation used in the Vipra and Vaeshya Ages are somewhat similar. Certain aspects of society in the Vipra Age therefore remain unchanged in the Vaeshya THE VAESHYA AGE 201

Age, such as the social system, the law, the status of men and women and the right of inheritance.

Breaking the Vaeshya Structure

The difficulties faced by those who have tried and are trying to break apart the structure of the Vaeshya Age in order to rebuild society on a humanistic foundation, are not less, but are in fact a little more, than the indescribable social tortures that great people suffered in the past when they tried to reform the social structure of the Vipra Age. This is because those who wanted to break apart the vipras’ structure had to fight the vipras and also the kïatriyas and shúdras under their protection, but those who want to strike at the vaeshyas’ structure have to fight against all the vipras, kïatriyas and shúdras who are obedient to the vaeshyas. But there are similarities between the two. The common people misunderstand great people who act on their behalf and for their welfare, or even if they understand them, they do not give them their support. Their nerves, courage and labour are bought with the vaeshyas’ money. The vipras exploit the masses in the Vipra Age under the pretence of religion, which cannot be challenged. The same thing occurs in the Vaeshya Age, but vaeshya exploitation is more dangerous. In the Vipra Age the vipras exploit others through religion in order to promote their personal interests, but in the Vaeshya Age the vipras exploit others through religion in order to promote both their own and the vaeshyas’ interests. In the Vaeshya Age this religious exploitation is more psychic than physical, because the vaeshyas use the vipras to try to spread intellectual propaganda among the masses to prevent them from finding any philosophical justification for their suppressed grievances against the vaeshya structure. This 202 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 intellectual propaganda aims to convince people that they are the victims of circumstance. It argues, “Everything is destiny. Everything is preordained.” Such doctrines help the vaeshyas to perpetuate their structure. They destroy the personal force of people and make them the playthings of fate. People accept the idea that everything is preordained, and support the status quo. Those who try to break the structure of the Vaeshya Age and show the downtrodden the path of liberation, will have to advise the people to free themselves from the intoxicating effect of the opium of religion; otherwise how will they be able to serve the downtrodden people? A group of exploiters loudly object to a remark that was made by the great Karl Marx concerning religion.6 It should be remembered that Karl Marx never opposed spirituality, morality and proper conduct. What he said was directed against the religion of his time, because he perceived, understood and realized that religion had psychologically paralysed the people and reduced them to impotence by persuading them to surrender to a group of sinners.

1963, Jamalpur From Human Society Part 2

6 In the introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, published in 1844, Marx says: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” –Eds.

SHÚDRA REVOLUTION AND SADVIPRA SOCIETY

The inevitable consequence of vaeshya exploitation is shúdra revolution. When the vaeshyas, maddened with excessive greed, lose their common sense completely and forsake their humanity totally, then for shúdra revolution the opportune time has come. However, it cannot be said that shúdra revolution will automatically occur just because an opportune time has come. Proper conditions relating to place and person will bear much of the responsibility. Revolution takes place when, from the economic perspective, only two classes remain in society: the exploiting vaeshyas and the exploited shúdras. But if there are no vipras and kïatriyas from a mental standpoint – in other words if there are no people who, though shúdras from an economic standpoint, are vipras or kïatriyas from a mental standpoint – shúdra revolution will not be possible. It is not the work of people who have a shúdra mentality to bring about revolution. They avoid struggle; they are playthings of the vaeshyas. At the high point of the Vaeshya Age, the vaeshyas easily manipulate the shúdra-minded shúdras. If the kïatriya- and vipra-minded shúdras lack spirit, they will also be bought by the vaeshyas’ money. Thus shúdra revolution ultimately depends on shúdras who have sufficient spirit and are mentally vipras or kïatriyas.

Obstacles to Revolution

Those who want to bring about proletariat revolution with the help of manual labourers only will not succeed unless they 204 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 take into consideration the mentality of the people involved. Shúdra-minded people do not understand their own problems; they do not even have the courage to dream about solving them. No matter how well labour leaders explain the problems to them or how fiery their lectures on the need for struggle be, it will not have any influence over their minds. They will spend their time eating, drinking and getting violently drunk. They cannot think about who in their families is eating properly or getting an education or not. If their bosses increase their wages, they will merely spend more on their addiction; their standard of living will not be raised. That is why I say that such people do not and cannot bring about a shúdra revolution. It is not only undesirable but also foolish for those who want to bring about revolution to depend on such people; their static nature will thwart its movement, their cowardice will prematurely extinguish the fire of revolution. Besides this type of mentality, national and religious traditions also often thwart revolution. It is extremely difficult for kïatriya- and vipra-minded shúdras to go against such traditions, let alone shúdra-minded shúdras. People become averse to revolution due to the following ideas: “Whatever is fated will happen; does fighting accomplish anything?”; “Our days are somehow passing by, so why should we trouble ourselves?”; or incorrect interpretations of the niïkáma karmaváda [doctrine of desireless action] of the Giitá or other scriptures. In fact, a subtle analysis will reveal that the policy of establishing a welfare state on a democratic base is also an obstacle to revolution; as are the ideals of Gandhism and the high-sounding theory of democratic socialism. SHÚDRA REVOLUTION AND SADVIPRA SOCIETY 205

The Bhúdán movement1 is also a reactionary movement in this way. Although I have high regard for the founders of Gandhism and the Bhúdán movement – as men they are second to none – their philosophies are extremely harmful for poor people. Some of the philosophical interpretations of janmántaraváda [the doctrine of transmigration of souls, or reincarnation] also oppose revolution; that is, they argue, “You are starving in this life because you committed many sins in your last life, so what is the point of launching a movement? Destiny cannot be changed.” That is why I have said that kïatriya- and vipra-minded shúdras will bring about the people’s revolution. For this, these shúdras will have to be thoroughly prepared, suffer a lot and make great sacrifices. They will have to fight against opposing groups and doctrines.

The Pioneers of Revolution

It is very easy to talk big about revolution. Audiences may be awestruck and applaud, but to actually bring about a revolution is not at all easy. Those kïatriya- or vipra-minded shúdras who are the pioneers of revolution will have to learn to be disciplined, take proper revolutionary training, build their character, be moralists; in a word, they will have to become what I call sadvipras. A sadvipra will not launch a movement against honest people, even if he or she does not like them. But a sadvipra will definitely take action against dishonest people, even if he or she likes them. In such matters it will not do to indulge any kind of mental weakness.

1 In the Bhúdán movement launched by Vinoba Bhave, an attempt was made to convince landlords to donate land to poor, landless people. (Bhú means “land” and dán means “donate”.) –Eds. 206 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Such strict, ideological sadvipras will be the messengers of the revolution. They will carry the message of revolution to every home in the world, to every vein and capillary of human existence. The banner of victorious revolution will be carried by them alone. Moralists and spiritualists can be found among all types of people, regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Everyone knows that the idea that rich means honest is completely false. But most sadvipras will come from the middle class. By “middle class” I mean the vipra- and kïatriya-minded shúdras. One may ask whether rich people who are moral and spiritual can be sadvipras or not. In reply I will say yes, they can be. But in order to be sadvipras they will have to come down to the level of the middle class, because they cannot live in indolent luxury on capital acquired by sinful means. In order to follow the principles of Prout,2 they will have to fight against sin and injustice, and in order to conduct such a fight properly, they will not be able to keep their wealth – they will have to become middle class. The meaning of the word sadvipra is “a person who is a moralist and a spiritualist and who fights against immorality”. Earning money in a sinful way or accumulating great wealth is against the fundamental principles of Prout. It will be quite impossible for people who are not following the fundamental principles of Prout to bring about shúdra revolution. One may also ask whether poor people can be sadvipras. In reply I will say that yes, they can be. But only poor people who have the minds of kïatriyas or vipras can bring about a revolution, and such poor people I call the middle class. That is how I explain the term madhyavitta samája [“middle class”].

2 See “The Principles of Prout”. –Eds.

SHÚDRA REVOLUTION AND SADVIPRA SOCIETY 207

I do not agree with those who are of the opinion that people who do not work physically but intellectually are middle class. I do not agree either with those who believe that those whose income is neither high nor low are middle class. If we were to accept this second interpretation of middle class, I would have to point out that the income of many shúdra-minded shúdras who perform manual labour in society is higher than that of many kïatriya- or vipra-minded shúdras. If anybody objects to the use of the term middle class, or if anybody says that middle class refers to those who have an average amount of wealth and that therefore the pioneers of the revolution – the kïatriya- or vipra-minded shúdras – may or may not be middle class, I am prepared to use the term vikïubdha [“disgruntled”] instead of middle class to describe the revolutionary shúdras. The vikïubdha shúdras are a constant source of uneasiness for the tyrannical vaeshyas. The capitalists are not afraid of labour unrest, but they are afraid of the labour leaders, the vikïubdha shúdras. The capitalists like democracy as a system of government because in the democratic system they can easily purchase the shúdra-minded shúdras who constitute the majority. It is easy to sail through the elections by delivering high-sounding speeches. No difficulties arise if election promises are not kept later on, because the shúdra-minded shúdras quickly forget them. It can be unequivocally stated that if only educated people instead of all adults were given the right to vote in any country, the governmental structure of most democratic countries would change. And if sadvipras alone had the right to vote, there would be no difference between the real world and the heaven people imagine. In a capitalistic social system or in a democratic structure the situation of middle-class people (the vikïubdha shúdras) is generally miserable. This is because they are the greatest critics 208 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of capitalism and the strongest opponents of exploitation. An increase in the number of vikïubdha shúdras in a society is an early omen of a possible shúdra revolution. It is therefore the duty of those who want to create a world free of exploitation to help to increase the number of vikïubdha shúdras. It will be harmful for the revolution if these people die or are transformed into shúdra-minded shúdras. All the sadvipras in the world should be vigilant to make sure that the number of vikïubdha shúdras does not decrease due to unemployment, birth control,3 or other bad practices or policies.

Democratic Change

Revolution means a great change. In order to bring about such a change, it is not inevitable that there will be killing and bloodshed. If the kïatriya-minded vikïubdha shúdras are in the majority or are most influential, however, the revolution will indeed come about through bloody clashes. It cannot be unequivocally stated that a revolution can never be brought about through intellectual clash, without bloodshed – it is possible, if there are a large number of influential vipra-minded shúdras among the vikïubdha shúdras. But we cannot have much hope that this will be the case; so it has to be said that the liberation of the people generally involves bloodshed. Some people claim that they will be able to bring about socialism or communism or the liberation of the people through democratic methods. Generally speaking, a welfare state is based on the same principles. They often say that England, France and some other democratic countries are progressing towards socialism. But I would ask, what is the use of tortoise- like progress such as this? Many countries which do not follow

3 See also the section Family Planning and Birth Control in “The Observer’s Diary”. –Eds.

SHÚDRA REVOLUTION AND SADVIPRA SOCIETY 209 a democratic system have brought about the welfare of their population with greater speed than has Great Britain within a democratic structure, over a period of hundreds of years. In this situation speed is the most important factor. Countries that exploited their colonies used to make efforts to promote the welfare of their population within the democratic structure, but if they had wanted to contribute to social welfare and had stayed outside the democratic framework, preferring instead the path of shúdra revolution, they would have progressed faster, and without exploiting any colonies. In fact, in a democratic structure the people’s progress is very slow. It cannot be called revolution; rather it is evolution, that is, gradual change. If undeveloped countries avoid the path of revolution and choose the path of slow change, or deliberately ignore the defects in democratic socialism or in the concept of a welfare state, the welfare of their people will never be anything but castles in the air. In order to secure votes in a democratic structure, the assistance of thieves, thugs and other antisocial elements is required. These antisocial elements certainly do not support candidates selflessly. They expect that when their candidate becomes a minister he or she will then turn a blind eye to the antisocial behaviour of their supporters. One of the most important basic features of socialism is cooperative bodies. Cooperative bodies cannot survive unless the state administration is run by honest citizens. Similarly, a socialistic state cannot survive unless the cooperative organizations are run by honest citizens. Hence if the public does not have a very high moral, spiritual and educational standard (an average standard or above average standard will not suffice), we cannot expect to find worthy people as representatives, as ministers, or as directors of cooperative bodies. Dishonest directors of cooperative institutions will steal money; dishonest ministers will indirectly support such 210 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 activities; and weak-minded ministers will deliberately avoid looking into those activities out of fear of losing their ministerships, or in hopes of securing votes in the future. If such abuses continue, it will never be possible to build up cooperative institutions, corruption will never be flushed out of the courts and secretariats, and socialism will never be established. It is extremely difficult, although not totally impossible, to attain the high moral standard necessary to establish socialism within a democratic structure. Thus while democratic socialism is theoretically not bad, we cannot hope that it will ever be possible in the real world.

Post-Revolution

Whether they have kïatriya intellects or vipras intellects, the vikïubdha shúdras who take over the leadership of the shúdra revolution are kïatriyas in terms of their courage, personal force and capacity to take risks. After the shúdra revolution the leadership of society passes to the vikïubdha shúdras, at which point their kïatriya qualities become still more strongly expressed. In the post-revolutionary period they cannot be called vikïubdha shúdras; by that time they have become the kïatriyas of the second rotation of the social cycle. The moral, spiritual fighters who keep an eye on the kïatriyas to ensure they do not descend into an exploitative role in the future, are called sadvipras. If the kïatriyas descend into exploitation, the sadvipras will fight them and establish the Vipra Age in the second rotation of the social cycle. If the vipras descend into exploitation, they will also fight against the vipras and initiate the Vaeshya Age of the second rotation. And if the vaeshyas descend or wish to descend into an exploitative role, the sadvipras will inspire the vikïubdha shúdras and bring about a second shúdra revolution. SHÚDRA REVOLUTION AND SADVIPRA SOCIETY 211

The social cycle will rotate continuously. Nobody can stop its rotation. If the post-revolutionary Kïatriya Age is called thesis, the steps taken by the sadvipras against the kïatriyas who descend into exploitation are called antithesis. The post- revolutionary Vipra Age which evolves out of this conflict is called synthesis. If, in a later period, the vipras wish to descend into exploitation, the steps that the sadvipras take against them are called antithesis. Therefore the post-kïatriya Vipra Age cannot be called synthesis at that time. It can be called the thesis of the next stage. Nobody can stop the rotation of the social cycle, not even the sadvipras. They stay in the nucleus of the social cycle, wakefully and vigilantly observing the process of rotation. One after another, one age follows the next: Vipra after Kïatriya, Vaeshya after Vipra. The sadvipras cannot stop this process. After the establishment of the post-revolutionary Kïatriya Age, the sadvipras will have to keep a vigilant eye on the kïatriyas so that they, as the representatives of kïatriya society, only rule and do not descend into an exploitative role. When they show signs of beginning to exploit, the sadvipras will immediately create an antithesis to end the Kïatriya Age. They will do the same thing in the Vipra and Vaeshya Ages. In other words, they will not allow society to follow the process of natural evolution. They will bring about social revolution whenever necessary. So the sadvipras will have no rest. A time will never come in the life of a sadvipra when he or she will be able to sit back in an armchair and say, “Ah, I have nothing to do today. Today I will have a nice rest.”

Sadvipra Society

So far in the first rotation of human history on this earth, no sadvipra society has been formed. In most countries the last 212 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 stage of the first rotation is in progress. In a few countries the post-shúdra-revolution Kïatriya Age has been established, and here and there the first indications of the Vipra Age are beginning to emerge. As there is no sadvipra society, the social cycle is rotating in a natural way. In every age the dominant social class first governs, then starts to exploit, after which evolution or revolution takes place. Due to the lack of sadvipras to lend their help, the foundations of human society fail to become strong. Today I earnestly request all rational, spiritual, moral, fighting people to build a sadvipra society without any further delay. Sadvipras will have to work for all countries, for the all- round liberation of all human beings. The downtrodden people of this persecuted world look to the eastern horizon, eagerly awaiting their advent. Let the blackness of the new-moon night be lifted from the path of the downtrodden. Let the new human beings of a new day wake up to a new sunrise in a new world. With these good wishes I conclude my discourse.

1963, Jamalpur From Human Society Part 2

DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY

Social advancement occurs when there is a blending of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. When a particular theory or thesis loses its effectiveness and capacity to bring about collective welfare, an antithesis is created against that theory. As a result of clash and cohesion between these two opposing forces a resultant is created, and that resultant is called a synthesis. Is it true that social welfare is only possible at the time of synthesis? When those who are responsible for social welfare neglect minorities or the mass of people, the synthesis of a particular age is transformed into the thesis of the next age. The underlying principles that are relevant to the question of social justice are: the universe is a moving phenomenon, like a moving panorama; everything in this empirical world has its roots in relativity; and everything takes place within the confines of time, space and person. In the stage of synthesis a particular social, economic or political theory may be beneficial in a particular place or to a particular group, but there is no guarantee that the same theory will prove equally beneficial if there are changes in time, space and person. Oppressed people, who are victims of social injustice and lead a life of suffering and despair, will, under different circumstances, create an antithesis against the period of synthesis in which they live. Numerical majority and physical strength are not the sole prerequisites for the emergence of an antithesis. If the oppressed are a group of intellectuals, no matter how few they are in number, they can create an antithesis. As soon as the antithesis is created, the former ideology ceases to be a 214 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 synthesis; it becomes the thesis in the next phase. In the second phase an antithesis will again emerge against that thesis. Until it emerges, there will be unabated struggle. Theoretically synthesis is not an absolute factor, the final struggle or the last word, because thesis, antithesis and synthesis occur within the bounds of relativity.

Cyclic Change

According to Prout, changes take place in a cyclic order. In the distant past the toiling masses were dominant. At that time there was no human society or civilization, and even the concept of the family was almost non-existent. This period was called the Shúdra Age. After the Shúdra Age came the Kïatriya Age, or the age of the warriors. When warriors, who had Herculean strength, started ignoring and hurting the sentiments of the vipras, or intellectuals, out of vindictiveness and revenge the vipras evolved an antithesis against the thesis of the Kïatriya Age. But the saga of exploitation and suffering knew no end. When the vipras launched an offensive against the bourgeoisie, the dissatisfied and disgruntled bourgeoisie embarked on a crusade against the thesis of the Vipra Age. And when the class who was once dissatisfied began to indulge in profiteering and black marketeering, living off the lifeblood of others, the exploited, oppressed and rebellious people started a bloody revolution to destroy the bourgeoisie. The movement of the samája cakra [social cycle] in human history is unending; it will never stop or be checked.

Sadvipra Society

Sadvipras will inspire and mobilize the crusading human spirit against barbarity, injustice and rapacity and help to DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY 215 accelerate the speed of the next antithesis. Afterwards, during the stage of synthesis, they will take over the leadership of society. If there is a proper adjustment among time, space and person, a synthetic age inspired by sadvipras will be permanent. Although different eras may come and go, the synthetic structure of the society governed and administered by sadvipras will remain intact. The Shúdra Age will come, but there will be no exploitation by the shúdras. The Kïatriya Age will come, but exploitation by the kïatriyas will not be possible because of the synthetic social order. Only sadvipras have the capacity to permanently maintain a proper adjustment among time, space and person. Those who propagate materialistic philosophies but lack moral and spiritual consciousness are quite incapable of this, for all changes take place within the purview of relativity. Those who have accepted the Supreme Entity as their goal – those who really believe in universal humanism and who are able to fully express it – are alone capable of maintaining this adjustment in a balanced way, for due to the influence of a spiritual ideal their temperaments become great and benevolent. Due to their benevolent idealism and mental development, they naturally look upon all with love and affection. They can never do injustice in any era or to any individual. Sadvipra society is the aspiration and demand of those who are oppressed; dialectical materialism1 is fundamentally defective.

1 The term “dialectical materialism” was coined by Karl Kautsky and popularized in the Second International (1889-1916), after the death of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engles. Simply stated, it is a way of understanding reality that combines dialectics and materialism. It is the theoretical foundation of Marxism. In Dialectics of Nature, 1883, Engles wrote: “Dialectics, so-called objective dialectics, prevails throughout nature, and so-called subjective dialectics (dialectical thought), is only the reflection of the motion through opposites which asserts itself everywhere in nature, and which by the continual conflict of the opposites and their final passage into one another, or into higher forms, determines the life of nature.” –Eds.

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In every country and at all times sadvipras must wait for the emergence of an antithesis against a particular thesis. Until an antithesis evolves, the sadvipras will continue to make efforts to create the psychological background needed for the antithesis of the next phase. The moment the auspicious dawn of renaissance or synthesis arrives, the sadvipras will take over the reins of the leadership of society.

Dialectical Materialism

The welfare of society is not possible under dialectical materialism. Dialectical materialism may be suitable for the well-being of society in one age, but in the very next age it may prove to be a brutal instrument of exploitation and destruction. Prout is the only viable system, for it recognizes the necessity of change in accordance with time, space and person. It will constantly maintain an adjustment among the three. The policies and programmes which Prout formulated for a particular era, for a particular place and for particular people will not remain fixed under new conditions and will adjust with changes in time, space and person. Such are the fundamental principles advocated by Prout. Thus dialectical materialism cannot have a beneficial effect on society and may only have value for a particular era, time or person.

Democracy

Let us now discuss democracy. It is claimed that democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people.2

2 Theodore Parker, in a speech at an anti-slavery convention in Boston on 29 May 1850 (Discourses of Slavery, 1863), defined democracy as “...a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people.” Over a decade later, on 19 November 1863, Abraham Lincoln echoed this sentiment in a speech in Gettysburg DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY 217

After the Shúdra Age, power passed into the hands of tribal chiefs. In the course of time clan leaders became feudal kings. The theory of democracy was born out of feelings of revolt against the tyranny of the monarchy perpetrated by these feudal kings. The history of democracy is very ancient. History teaches us that it originated during the rule of the Licchavii dynasty in ancient India.3 Due to its great age, it is not surprising that democracy has some defects. Let us now analyse the definition, “Democracy is government by the people.” In a democracy do people have the requisite education and consciousness to judge what is right or what is wrong, what they should do or what they should not do? Does the capacity to understand and exercise judgement come as soon as one attains a prescribed age? Is age the yardstick for measuring wisdom and education? Alas, this happens to be the accepted fact. If those who eloquently praise the democratic system read the history of the Licchavii royal dynasty, they would learn that in those days not everyone had the right to vote. Only the Licchavii leaders and not the common people could exercise the right of franchise. Democracy can only be effective in the absence of exploitation. Every person has certain minimum requirements of life, which should be guaranteed. There may be minor adjustments in these minimum requirements as per differences in time,

(Speeches and Letters, 1907), when he said that “...government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” –Eds. 3 The Licchaviis of ancient India dwelt mainly in the region now known as the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, and had their capital at Vaishali. In “Democracy and Group-Governed States” in Volume 4, the author also says: “The Licchaviis of Vaishali abolished the monarchy and established the first republic about 2,500 years ago. The representatives of the people were known as Licchaviis; they elected an executive body, known as the Mahalicchavii. In Vaishali the Mahalicchaviis took over the power that was previously held by the monarchy.” –Eds.

218 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 space and person. For example, the people of Kashmir may need a large quantity of warm clothing. Therefore they should be provided with more woollen clothes than the people of Bihar. The minimum requirements vary with the change of time and place. In ancient times people were satisfied with a dhoti [man’s lower-body garment], a shirt and a pair of wooden sandals. Not only that, they did not even feel the need for shoes. But today a suit is an absolute necessity. In olden days people would travel long distances on foot, but today a bicycle or motorcar has become essential. Minimum necessities should be provided to every individual. There is no limit to these minimum requirements. Every progressive society should bear in mind that the minimum requirements will increase day by day. In the not too distant future a day will come when every individual will acquire a rocket. Then it will be very common for one’s father’s house to be on this planet and one’s father-in-law’s house to be, for example, on Venus. The social system that will come into being will maintain adjustment and harmony with time, space and person; it will be called Pragatishiila Samája Tantra (“Progressive Socialism”).4 Our Prout is that very Pragatishiila Samája Tantra.

4 Although this discourse was given in Hindi in 1964, it was originally published in Bengali in Abhimata in 1966. The first English version was published in 1973. In all three published versions – Bengali, Hindi and English – here the English words “Progressive Socialism” appear. In the Bengali and Hindi versions, they were in round brackets and preceded by Pragatishiila Samája Tantra. For Bengali speakers, samája tantra is generally understood to mean “socialism” in English. (Pragatishiila means “progressive”.) In several chapters in this series, the author deeply analyses the concept of progress. In addition, in numerous discourses, he is extremely critical of all types of ism, including democratic socialism, national socialism and communism. By referencing both these approaches, it becomes clear that the inner spirit of the term Pragatishiila Samája Tantra is a social order that is moving step by step towards establishment in spirituality, without regard to any ism, while maintaining DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY 219

Society will have to guarantee an increase in the living standard of every individual. When Pragatishiila Samája Tantra is established within the framework of democracy, democracy will be successful. Otherwise government of the people, by the people and for the people will only mean the government of fools, by fools and for fools. Education: Mass education is one of the basic necessities for the successful and effective running of democracy. Sometimes, however, even educated people unjustly abuse their voting rights. Generally people cast their votes according to the pressure and inducement of misguided local leaders. To approach a polling booth like a herd of cattle to cast votes in ballot boxes is meaningless. Is this not a farce in the name of democracy? Thus the spread of education and proper knowledge are essential. Education does not only mean literacy or alphabetical knowledge. In my opinion real education means genuine, adequate knowledge and the capacity to understand. In other words, education should impart an awareness of who I am and what I ought to do. Education means gaining a full knowledge of these things. Merely having some knowledge of the alphabet is not education at all. Literacy certainly serves a purpose. I am not saying that literacy is absolutely useless. There are some countries in South America where only literate people enjoy franchise.5 Political parties in those countries launch literacy campaigns, and people naturally cast their votes in favour of the parties that have made them literate. The government also remains free from all responsibility and expenditure in this regard. adjustment with time, place and person; so with the term “Progressive Socialism”. –

Eds. 5 Before this discourse was given (in February 1964), countries such as Bolivia had a literacy requirement (as well as other requirements) to qualify as a voter. –Eds.

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However, this system cannot fully serve the purpose for which it was intended. First, it is not reasonable to think that mere literacy will confer complete knowledge as to what to do and what not to do. Secondly, if the responsibility for a literacy campaign is left to political parties, they will exploit the situation to spread their party propaganda and make themselves popular among the people. People will become intellectually bankrupt, and this will undermine their rational judgement and discrimination. Nevertheless, education is of the utmost importance. Without education democracy can never be successful. Morality: Morality is the second fundamental factor for democracy to succeed. People sell their votes because they lack morality. In some countries votes are bought and sold. Can we call this democracy? Is it not a farce? Democracy cannot succeed unless 51% of the population strictly follow principles of morality. Where corrupt and immoral persons are in the majority, the leaders will inevitably be elected from among the immoral people. Today there are numerous obstacles on the path of morality. Urban civilization is one of the chief causes of moral degeneration, because many people are compelled to live in an undesirable way in small, congested places. This is detrimental to the morality of the individual. It is essential for the development of morality to live alone for some time. In places where the population is very dense, milk and vegetables are in short supply; these are indispensable for healthy living. Where the demand exceeds the supply, adulteration will proliferate. To meet the deficit in the supply of milk, people mix water with it. To meet the demand for diamonds, imitation diamonds are produced, because the demand is greater than the supply. Cities become dens of corruption due to antisocial elements, but generally such things are not found in villages. In villages DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY 221 everybody knows everyone else. Everybody knows how their neighbours earn their livelihood. But even after twenty years of living in a city, people seldom become acquainted with their neighbours. They do not even know that there are many swindlers lurking in their midst. However, only popularizing the slogan “Go back to the village” will not suffice. City life generally has a great attraction for people, so they run to the cities to earn their livelihood. To stop this trend intellectuals and others will have to go to the villages to earn their livelihood. Nowadays the supply of cheap electricity and the expansion of cottage industries in villages are of paramount importance. By cottage industries I do not mean outdated, primitive handicrafts. Cottage industries must be efficient, modern, mechanized enterprises. From the economic viewpoint, decentralization is an absolute necessity. With the exception of heavy industries and essential government offices, all industry should be shifted to villages. This is the only feasible approach to stop overcrowding in the cities. Villages are not congested, so antisocial elements will not be able to hide themselves there. If they try, the police will be easily able to detect them. In a democratic society, immorality is a large and unavoidable problem. Some people say that if mustard seeds are sprinkled over a person who is possessed by a ghost, the ghost will take to its heels. But if the ghost hides in the mustard seeds themselves, of course there will not be the ghost of a chance of escaping from the ghost. Today the ghost of immorality lies hidden in the democratic system. Democracy gives rise to sentiments like provincialism, communalism, casteism, etc., which are devoid of morality. Suppose that in a certain constituency person A represents the majority group but B, C and D are capable and competent representatives. In such circumstances representative A is sure 222 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 to fully exploit the majority group by kindling caste-based or narrow-minded communal sentiments in their minds in order to win the elections. Such antisocial activities create suspicion in people’s minds and this deals a staggering blow to their morality. In some democracies social discrimination is so widespread that different groups and parties find ample scope to disseminate and popularize their defective ideas and fissiparous sentiments. As a result morality, which should form the base of democracy, goes unprotected. In a democracy some people indulge in casteism and extract maximum advantage from it. Political parties also nominate representatives from the largest communities. As the masses are uneducated, they cannot see through these games. Social, economic and political consciousness: Thirdly, social, economic and political consciousness is also indispensable for the success of democracy. Even educated people may be misguided by shrewd and cunning politicians if they are not sufficiently conversant with social, economic and political issues. Democracy can only be successful when people develop these three kinds of consciousness. Without this awareness, a healthy society is not possible either in theory or in practice. Intellectuals therefore should never encourage these types of unrealistic ideas. But even if the above three conditions for the success of democracy are fulfilled, neither dialectical materialism nor democracy can bring about genuine social welfare. The only solution is an enlightened, benevolent dictatorship; in other words, a morally- and spiritually-conscious dictatorship.6 Although moralists are in the minority today, they have no reason to worry. Once society acquires leaders who are

6 See also “Sadvipra Boards”. –Eds.

DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND DEMOCRACY 223 intellectually and intuitionally developed, there will be no scope for exploitation and injustice.

Administration

Now, a question may arise: if in any country everyone enjoys human rights, why should one person have voting rights while others do not? After all, this world is the common inheritance of all, and every individual has the right to enjoy and utilize all mundane, supramundane and spiritual resources. But just because everybody has the right to enjoy everything, it does not follow that everybody has the right to run the administration of a country. For the good and welfare of ordinary people, it is inadvisable to put the responsibility for the administration in the hands of all. Suppose a certain couple has five children. The family is happy together. But if, on the grounds that they are the majority, the children suddenly claim authority and the right to manage the affairs of the family, is it feasible? What if they call a meeting and pass a resolution to smash all the glasses and crockery? Shall we call it a wise resolution? Let me give you another example. There are always more students than teachers. Now, if the students argue that since they are in the majority they themselves should set the examinations and be the examiners, can that demand be granted? So you see, democracy is not a very good or simply system. But until a better and more suitable system is developed, we will have to accept democracy in preference to other systems and make use of it temporarily.

February 1964 A Few Problems Solved Part 2

CIVILIZATION, SCIENCE AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

Today the subject of my discourse is “Civilization, Science and Spiritual Progress”. The collective name of different expressions of human life is culture. I may as well tell you at the very outset that culture is one for the entire human race.

Civilization

What is civilization? The subtle sense of refinement that we come across in the different expressions of life is called “civilization”. Let me give you an example. Suppose some guests have arrived at our home. We may address them imperatively, “Come”, or we may welcome them by saying, “Please come in.” This polite address, by adding the word “please”, speaks of civilization or a civilized address, for herein the subtle sense of refinement is evident. The imperative word “come”, bereft of warmth, only smacks of a lack of culture. So we see there are both good and bad sides to culture, but a subtle sense of refinement is the touchstone of civilization. The subtle sense of refinement that we get in culture intrinsically imbibes people with the power of discriminating judgement. We may call all those human actions and behaviours civilized that give evidence of this discriminating judgement in a great measure. It is sometimes noticed in certain groups of people that their actions have the support of judgement, and then again in some others there is a flagrant lack of judgement in their actions. Now, just on account of this, to call the former civilized and the latter half-civilized would not be fair or desirable. CIVILIZATION, SCIENCE AND PROGRESS 225

In the Indian social system women have been given the status of mothers, but in the practical field they are not given the same amount of prestige. Conversely, in European society, although motherly status is nil, women certainly enjoy equal rights and prestige in the practical field. Now, it is very hard to say which of the two is more civilized. But I would say the more action and behaviour is supported by sound judgement, the better will be the expression and development of civilization. There is a subtle difference between civilization and culture. Culture is the collective form of all the expressions of life. Culture is an expression of the intellectual stratum, whereas civilization is the expression of the physical aspects of life. So people may be civilized by way of material development, but as far as their mental development is concerned, they may not be culturally endowed. In the absence of intellectual development, it is not possible for a person to be properly civilized.

Science

How does the development of civilization take place? Civilization has an intimate relation with science. They progress together. But where scientific progress supersedes the progress of civilization, civilization will meet its Waterloo. Take, for example, the history of Egypt and Greece. As long as the scientific progress of these two countries did not supersede the progress of civilization, the civilizations in both countries prospered very well. But when the ingredients of material enjoyment increased abundantly, the civilizations of both countries were destroyed, because science occupied a higher position than civilization. What is science? That which teaches the proper use of material things is science. If the development of civilization is 226 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 utterly negligible and if at the same time science attains the apogee of development, instead of doing good for humanity science will only pave the way for its destruction. So, while the study and practice of science are necessary, science should not be given a higher place than civilization.

Spiritual Progress

Now, let me say a few words about intuitional knowledge. In India, from the Tantric period to the Gupta period,1 civilization and science progressed side by side and science never enjoyed greater prestige than civilization. The Gupta period was the golden period of India. After the end of the Gupta era, scientific progress was overlooked due to people’s proclivity for material enjoyment. This resulted in the degradation and downfall of society. In the Pathan period 2 neither did civilization develop nor did science progress, and as a result the progress of society was thwarted. For the all-round progress and development of human society, both civilization and science have to be encouraged and pursued. Where you see the development of civilization, you will find intellectual development also taking place. And where there is the cultivation of science, there too, intellectual progress is occurring. For both civilization and science, intellectual knowledge is indispensable. Spiritual or intuitional development is possible through the happy blending of civilization and science. Even if there is no such blending, intuitional progress may still be possible, but if science and civilization are in harmony, intuitional progress will be accelerated. Therefore wise people should proceed and progress blending these two. It is meaningless to think of

1 The Tantric period lasted from about 7,000 to 4,000 years ago, while the Gupta Age lasted from 320 to 550. –Eds. 2 The Pathan period lasted from 1193 to 1526. –Eds. CIVILIZATION, SCIENCE AND PROGRESS 227 intuitional progress without effecting the harmonious blending of the two. What is our duty today? We shall cultivate science, but we shall pay equal attention to the development of civilization. If we compare ancient and modern India, we will observe that the progress of science today is not greater than that of ancient times, but in those days civilization was certainly of a high order, particularly during the times of Vashiïía,3 Vishvámitra and Astavakra. Today civilization is on the wane due to the importance attached to science. But as developed as science is today, if civilization is developed to a higher degree than science, people will be able to reach greater heights than the heights reached by Vashiïía and Vishvámitra.

22 May 1965, RU, Patna

3 Vashiïía lived about 5,000 years ago. –Eds.

THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION

Modern minds are often disturbed by the fear that the human race may become extinct within a short period of time. People feel that civilization is passing through a very critical phase and that there is no possible escape from its total annihilation. But this cannot happen. Both individuals and society are dependent on three factors for their existence, namely asti, bhati and ánanda. A dwelling, food, clothing, education and medical care are the sine qua non for asti, or existence. The term bhati means vibhati, or “development and progress”. The mere, perceptible appearance of a society does not prove its real existence. The earthworm, for instance, has existed for hundreds of millions of years, yet it does not signify existence in the true sense of the term. That is to say, there has to be bhati, progress and development. Eating, drinking and making merry cannot be the purpose of life. Such a life would be an encumbrance, a boredom. For the all-round development of an individual or a society, a goal is needed. Without a clearly defined goal, the purpose of development will remain confused. A bud blooms and becomes a flower; that is what you may call its development. The purpose of bhati, or development, is the attainment of ánanda, or bliss. The term ánanda signifies infinite happiness [or divine bliss], the [state of] equipoise of pleasure and pain, perfect mental peace. The absence of any of the above-mentioned factors may cause a great consternation or convulsion in individual or social life.

THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION 229

Existence

The earth came into existence crores [tens of millions] of years ago. Although from the geological point of view it is still in its infancy, sooner or later it is bound to come to an end. This will naturally mean the extinction of the human race. Is this correct? It is a fact that the temperature of the sun will gradually fall. The rate of this fall may, however, be slowed by the influence of supramundane force, yet it is beyond doubt that one day the sun will become a dead star. The conversion of the sun into a dead star will mean a similar fate for the planets [in the solar system] also. Earth, then, will not be a congenial place on which to live. The destruction of a particular planet or solar system does not mean the end of the human race. There are numerous stars and planets in the universe. With the further development of science, human beings will move to other planets by means of interplanetary rockets. What is a dream today will become a reality tomorrow. It is the inherent desire of an individual and the collective body that takes a concrete shape. It was the age- old desire of human beings to fly in the sky like birds. The aeroplane was a product of that desire. Desire is the mother of invention. In the future you will see rockets that will be able to transport people to other planets [and star systems]. And if one day these planets and stars also perish, people will move to different planets and star systems. It may also be argued that a day may come when due to the constant radiation of heat and light, the temperature of the entire universe may become the same; in other words, the thermal death of the universe may occur. In the absence of 230 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 external heat, the universe may cease to exist.1 This means that humanity will also perish. However, this cannot happen. There cannot be a thermal death of the universe. The solidification of an object [i.e., a celestial body] will result in jaìasphoía [structural dissociation]. Tremendous heat will be released due to the jaìasphoía of a particular [celestial body], and new galaxies and stars will be created. There is therefore no cause to fear. The earth may one day become extinct, but humanity cannot cease to exist. You can rest assured of asti.

All-Round Development

Numerous factors are needed for the development of a group of people, but the following six are the most important.2 Spiritual ideology: There should be a spiritual ideology in the life of both the individual and the collective body. Much of your energy is misused due to ignorance of your own self [i.e., unit consciousness] and the destination towards which you are moving. This misuse of energy is bound to cause destruction. Spiritual practice: The second factor necessary for the progress of society is a spiritual cult [i.e., spiritual practice], a process of sadhana. Everyone has a physical structure. The problem every person faces is how to make his or her body produce more and more ectoplasmic stuff and then convert it into consciousness. There should be a proper process for this conversion. Spiritual cult involves the conversion of the five

1 The theory of the thermal death of the universe postulates a state in which the universe has no thermodynamic free energy and reaches a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, but it does not imply any particular absolute temperature. –Eds. 2 The author describes these factors as “the six factors which guide society”, calling them the ïaìaráh samája cakra (“six spokes of the social cycle”). See “Párthasárathi Krïòa and Aesthetic Science”, given on 5 April 1981, in Namámi Krïòasundaram, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION 231 fundamental factors into ectoplasmic stuff and then into consciousness through a special scientific process. It is a process of metamorphosis. Spiritual cult, therefore, is indispensable. Only spiritual ideology or spiritual philosophy will not do. Socio-economic theory: The third factor, which is a blending of asti and bhati, is a socio-economic theory. There should be a priori knowledge regarding the social structure and the growth and distribution of wealth. Without this knowledge, there cannot be a solid foundation for the construction of a social system. Social outlook: The fourth factor is social outlook. All living creatures in this manifest universe are the progeny of the same Cosmic Father. 3 They are the progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Naturally they are bound together by a bond of fraternal feeling. This is the central spirit. A socio- economic theory is useless without this fraternal feeling. The implementation of this theory is impossible without sadhana. Scripture: The fifth factor for the progress of society is for society to have its own scripture. There is a need for keeping the company of elevated persons (satsauôga) in all the spheres of life. The authority that promotes satsauôga when you come in contact with it, is shástra [scripture]. Shástra is that which elevates society through means of sháshan [the popularization of progressive rules and regulations]. We should have our own shástra. Preceptor: The last but by no means the least important factor required for the progress of society is for it to have its own preceptor.

3 The author also says: “Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland.” See “Problems of the Day”, section 1, in Volume 1. –Eds.

232 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

The entire social structure depends on these six factors. Bhati is meaningless without them. If any one of them is weak, it may jeopardize the existence of bhati.

Bliss

Since ancient times many groups of people have lived in this world. Some of them somehow managed to survive, some became extinct, and some continued to exist in a metamorphosed form. About 1,500 years ago the Arabs were highly developed in the field of science, but they were defeated by the Islamic wave because they lacked the six above- mentioned factors; the latter had at least five of them. The same is the case with Egypt. It was extremely well-developed in the spheres of art, architecture and science. The Egyptians made the pyramids, which needed subtle geometrical knowledge, and created mummies. Moreover they were also very advanced in the sphere of civilization. Despite this, they could not avoid defeat. Today’s Egypt is the Egyptian form of Arab civilization. The cause of the death of its older form was the lack of the above-mentioned six factors. The Christian or Roman civilization had also reached a high level on the ladder of development, yet they lacked social outlook. They had no sense of fraternity or equality. The slave system was widespread and human feelings were declining in importance. Furthermore, due to the lack of a proper socio- economic theory, a kind of fascist mentality developed. Those who were rolling in luxury and free from labour became indolent. Naturally they were defeated by a stronger and more dynamic force. The destruction of the Greek and Chinese civilizations was also caused by the lack of the factors relating to bhati. THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION 233

The Aryans were only able to defeat the indigenous Indians due to the latter’s lack of the factors of bhati.4 They had several factors of bhati but there was no preceptor, and for this reason they were defeated. In the future also want of the six factors of bhati will lead to the extinction of particular groups of people. But where these factors are present, there is a movement towards ánanda, or divine bliss, and due to this movement there is no chance of their destruction.

Sadvipras

Groups in which all the six factors are present will be able to produce sadvipras. Sadvipras are those who direct all their efforts towards the attainment of ánanda. They are also conscious of asti and do not lack any of the six factors of bhati. They are strong in morality and are always ready to wage war against injustice. Tapah siddhi [perfection in the practice of tapah] is impossible without the six factors of bhati. Those who strictly adhere to the principles of morality, are acutely aware of tapah,5 and are ready to wage a war against injustice, are sadvipras. All these sadvipras, those who work for the welfare of human society, will be saved from destruction and extinction. Hence it is the primary duty of everyone to become a sadvipra and to help others to become sadvipras. Sadvipra does not mean those who practice málá-japa [the counting of beads] or práòáyáma [respiratory control]. In práòáyáma there are three stages: puraka, which means to

4 The Aryans first began migrating to India about 10,000 years ago. –Eds. 5 The cardinal principles of morality are Yama and Niyama, and they include tapah. Tapah means making effort to reach the spiritual goal of life, even if such effort causes physical discomfort. See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. 234 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 inhale, kumbhaka, which means to hold the breath, and recaka, which means to exhale. The práòáyáma of the sadvipras will be to inhale the entire universe in puraka, to keep it inside them in kumbhaka, and then to exhale it after mixing it with their own greatness and good will in recaka. Sadvipras will wage a ceaseless, pactless struggle against immorality and all sorts of fissiparous tendencies. Those who claim to be dharmic but are afraid to fight, cannot be called sadvipras. Shiva was great because his trishula [trident] was always ready to strike at immoralists. Krïòa was great because his arrows were meant to hold in check the anti-human and immoral elements. He also encouraged the moralists to wage war against the immoralists. They were not only sadvipras but also the creators of sadvipras – great sadvipras. These sadvipras are always busy trying to help people to elevate themselves. When this earth becomes old, they will lead people to other planets by guiding them in their scientific endeavours. Some people fear that atom or megaton bombs may one day cause the extinction of the human race. But such fears are ill- conceived and baseless. The human intellect is responsible for their production and naturally the intellect is superior to the things it produces. It may one day invent weapons that are even capable of neutralizing atom or megaton bombs. The cry for disarmament will therefore strengthen the destructive capacity of atom bombs. It may lead humanity towards total annihilation. It is therefore a great obstacle to the progress of human society. We need more powerful weapons than atom or hydrogen bombs. Sadvipras will manufacture such powerful weapons. If the human race is to survive, if millions of innocent lives are to be saved, it will be the duty of the apostles of peace to build more powerful weapons than are presently available. THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION 235

Sadvipras will never lag behind in scientific research. When the earth becomes uninhabitable for human beings, they will shift them to other planets. Food shortages are not a new problem. Only sadvipras and not politicians and experts can save the world from them. They will produce tablets that will be a substitute for food. By fussing uselessly over problems one will not find a solution. The spirit to fight against all obstacles can alone solve the problems confronting humanity. March ahead and wage war against all difficulties and impediments. Victory is surely yours. Difficulties and impediments cannot be more powerful than your capacity to solve them. You are the children of the great Cosmic Father. Be a sadvipra, and make others sadvipras as well.

15 May 1966, RU, Patna

PRÁÒA DHARMA

In this universe there are people whose thoughts, character and behaviour are similar – similar, but not identical. Differences in character and mentality are caused by varying propensities and tendencies. These are reflected in external conduct and account for the differences between people. Just as individuals have distinctive characteristics, groups of people brought up in various geographical locations, historical eras or cultural environments also acquire their own group characteristics. Slowly the characteristics of a particular group get mixed with the internal thoughts and ideas of other groups within the same society. This leads to the development of national characteristics. This is how an entire national psychology develops, with its external behaviour, its social outlook and its philosophy of life. As a result of this process, different national outlooks emerge. In the same way different groups of people have developed different attitudes towards life and the world. These differences are internal rather than external. A proper education and a well- integrated approach to both one’s individual and collective life can lead to the proper development of internal qualities. Discipline in the psychic sphere of an individual’s life may be called the práòa dharma of that individual. When the national characteristics of a country are expressed in a particular way, we may call it the práòa dharma of that country. Although Italy, France, England and America are part of the western world, their national characteristics are not the same. There are also considerable differences in the thought processes and external conduct of the East and the West.

PRÁÒA DHARMA 237

Indian Práòa Dharma

The thoughts and ideals of India are quite different from the other countries in the East. Since ancient times India has been adhering to her own distinct práòa dharma. Indian people have a spiritual attitude towards life and the world. They look upon each and every thought and deed as a part of their spiritual practice. The reason is that in ancient India children studied from the age of five till the age of twenty-five. They lived virtuous, disciplined and holy lives and received extensive training in spiritual knowledge as well as some degree of mundane knowledge. At the end of their student careers, they returned home to adopt the life of householders. As householders they continued to cultivate both spiritual and mundane knowledge. When they reached the age of fifty, after completing all their family commitments, they would adopt the life of a vánaprastha and retire to a forest to concentrate on the development of spiritual knowledge.1 Thus all aspects of Indian life were based on spirituality. The subjective approach to life became their práòa dharma. Spirituality has penetrated so deeply into Indian social life that even the toughest and most notorious robbers offer something to the goddess Káli before committing a robbery. They pray to mother Káli and make pledges to her to ensure their success. The ancient Indian system of education was based on this original práòa dharma. Consequently Indian students developed reverential, humble and noble qualities. A subtle way to undermine an individual or a nation is to divert them from their original práòa dharma, sometimes by forcibly snatching away their right to pursue it. This will sap them of their inherent strength and capabilities, causing them to grow weak. Like a bird that is deprived of its right to fly freely

1 Vánaprastha is the third stage of life in the traditional Vedic system. –Eds.

238 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 and is gradually reduced to the status of a biped, human beings who are deprived of their práòa dharma lose their special status.

Pathan and Mughal Rule and Indian Práòa Dharma

During the Mughal period, India was subjected to severe political torture. The Pathan and Mughal rulers2 used indirect methods to try to weaken the Indian práòa dharma. However, their efforts to win people over with offers of high posts or through other methods did little damage to the Indian práòa dharma. The reason was that the inner vitality of Islamic society itself had already been considerably weakened after assimilating the conflicting thought-waves of Egypt, Siberia and Persia [now Iran]. Thus, although the Islamic práòa dharma existed alongside the Indian práòa dharma, it was unable to exert a strong influence.

British Rule and Indian Práòa Dharma

The British rulers3 were very clever. Instead of attacking the Indian práòa dharma directly, they resorted to the path of diplomacy. They believed that to maintain British rule in India, they would have to create a group of native supporters who would be Indian by birth and colour but European in manners, customs, education, taste and culture. So they introduced a system of education based on their own British system.4 This was clearly an attempt to undermine the Indian práòa dharma. As a result the Indian people forgot their distinctive national characteristics and developed a completely western outlook.

2 Pathan period: 1193 to 1526; Mughal Empire: 1526 to 1857. –Eds. 3 British rule lasted from 1757 to 1947. –Eds. 4 With the passing of the English Education Act, 1835, English was used in education and to promote English literature and science. –Eds. PRÁÒA DHARMA 239

The moral, spiritual and social qualities that were developed through the Indian system of education were forgotten, and under the influence of materialistic western civilization, the Indian youth grew cynical, materialistic and atheistic. A class of educated people was created who were neither English nor Indian. Many of them were employed in the Indian Civil Service.5 A certain scholar once remarked that the Indian Civil Service was neither Indian nor civil nor service. These people became alienated from the mainstream of Indian social life because their conduct, behaviour, customs, manners, thoughts and ideals were different from those of other Indians. This new class of people with a modern education could not regard the simple, innocent masses of rural India as their own. The clever British rulers trained them in such a subtle way that they felt closer to the British than to other Indians. The imperialistic British purpose was served: colonial rule was firmly established.

The British and Chinese Práòa Dharma

The British also tried to destroy the natural práòa dharma of the Chinese people. Prior to the rule of the Kuomintang,6 the Chinese people were simple, peace-loving, energetic and spiritually inclined. But the British imported a huge amount of cheap opium into China and destroyed the energetic, pious nature of the people, reducing them to idleness and indolence.7 As a result the Chinese deviated from their original práòa dharma. It was then easy to misguide them into becoming communists. The British were responsible for the annihilation

5 The Indian Civil Service was the elite civil service of the British Empire between 1858 and 1947. –Eds. 6 The Kuomintang ruled China from 1927 to 1948. –Eds. 7 China fought the First Opium War with the British from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860. –Eds.

240 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of the Chinese práòa dharma. The communists completely destroyed the ancient Chinese religion,8 thus finishing the task the British had started.

Capitalism and Indian Práòa Dharma

Although capitalism does not directly attack the práòa dharma of the people, its all-devouring, exploitative nature robs them of their possessions and forces them to become beggars on the street. For the victims of such exploitation, it becomes virtually impossible to follow their práòa dharma. Even in feudal times, the exploitation in Indian society did not run counter to the original práòa dharma of the people. But the present vaeshya exploitation has ruined them financially, thus making it impossible for them to follow their práòa dharma. This crisis, which the Indian práòa dharma is passing through, is giving materialistic philosophies the scope to rear their heads. The socio-economic philosophy of Ananda Marga calls for the elimination of capitalism. It places a strong emphasis on the fulfilment of minimum economic needs and the creation of an ideal social environment in which the maximum utilization of collective wealth and the rational distribution of resources will solve all economic problems. In such a society every human being will be given the opportunity to follow their práòa dharma.

Communism and Indian Práòa Dharma

Materialism can never be the base of society because it hinders the all-round development of human beings.

8 The communists came to power in China in 1949. Mao Zedong (1893-1976), through the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, attempted to destroy all the religions in China, including Taoism and Confucianism. –Eds. PRÁÒA DHARMA 241

Materialism is the philosophical basis of communism. Communists act against human dharma by propagating the defective philosophy of materialism. Communism is diametrically opposed to Indian práòa dharma. Although communists shout high-sounding slogans about emancipation and progress, the well-being of the people cannot be achieved through communism. Communist states attach a great deal of importance to material science and technology. This may increase the wealth of the country and to some extent alleviate the financial distress of the people, but solving economic problems does not solve all problems. If that were the case, the affluent western countries would be utopias. Human destiny involves more than merely filling one’s stomach. There is much more to life than that. Human beings are God’s progeny and as such have a thirst for unlimited happiness. Limited physical wealth can never quench their infinite thirst. Their práòa dharma should of course provide them with the ways and means to satisfy their unlimited hunger. Communism ignores higher human and spiritual values and fails to recognize the existence of the human soul. The condition of people in today’s communist countries is no better than that of domestic animals in dairy farms.

Education and Práòa Dharma

Ananda Marga wants to establish the práòa dharma of the entire universe, and Ananda Marga philosophy has been conceived to that end. Ananda Marga’s scripture, philosophical treatise, social treatise, ethical treatise, process of spiritual practices, socio-economic theory and educational method will all help to establish práòa dharma. Whatever a genuine Ananda Margi does in his or her life is always conducive to práòa dharma. Ananda Marga philosophy – unlike the 242 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Vedantic sannyásii [renunciant] who professes the philosophy of illusion – is not in favour of dismissing this quinquelemental world as mere illusion. On the contrary, Ananda Marga accepts the world as a relative truth and strives to cope with its problems. Both wealth and poverty divert people from their original práòa dharma. That is why the socio-economic philosophy of Ananda Marga advises its supporters to make sure that no one ever dies of starvation. If the education system is defective, this also strikes a blow at a country’s práòa dharma. A good example of this is what happened in India during the British regime. Ananda Marga must remain vigilant to make sure that such things do not happen again. The Ananda Marga system of education 9 has been formulated in a way that takes into full consideration the fundamental práòa dharma of human beings. The education system in our schools is based on the principle of práòa dharma. As well as the study of various branches of modern knowledge, it includes the development of qualities such as reverence, good manners, humility, dignity of labour, social consciousness, etc. Western systems of education have miserably failed to inculcate these qualities in students’ minds. If radical reforms had been introduced to rectify the defects in the education system of post-independent India, many serious problems could have been solved. Progressive Indian educators should develop a new system of education based on the national práòa dharma. All over the world, Ananda Marga philosophy can be adopted to suit different national práòa dharmas. There is

9 Subsequently, in the 1980s, the author named the system of education he had created “Neohumanist Education”. See “Education and Neohumanism” in Volume 3, and Discourses on Neohumanist Education, 1998. –Eds.

PRÁÒA DHARMA 243 plenty of scope to introduce Ananda Marga philosophy in this way.10

16 February 1967, DMC, Ranchi

10 See also “Deprivation of Práòa Dharma”. –Eds.

OUR SOCIAL TREATISE

The inner meaning of the word samája [“society”] is collective movement. Morality is the starting point. Morality is the idealistic aspect of mind that inspires people to move towards the Cosmic goal. Social life develops from morality and reaches its culminating point when universal humanism encompasses every human being in the universe. The only resource needed for this process of development is sadhana. Hence it can be said that morality is the base of life, spiritual practice is the means and divine life is the goal. Ananda Marga aims to build an ideal society. Society should have a congenial environment that provides people with the opportunity to progress physically, psychically and spiritually, and to advance harmoniously and unitedly towards Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. Ananda Marga has drawn up a social treatise containing the blueprint for such a congenial social structure. The social code of Manu1 helped to build the Hindu social system, although the same social code also led to degeneration in Hindu society. Manu wanted to create an integrated society by introducing rigid laws and regulations. Many people could not follow such inflexible and harsh laws and requested the priests to liberalize them. The resulting liberalization led to slackness in their observation. Manu’s penal code was so severe that the people lived in constant fear. Society was not free and there was no congenial atmosphere for its all-round development. Morality was confused with dharma, which led to people accused of social crimes being given religious punishments. Thus people’s

1 Manu lived about 2,000 years ago. –Eds.

OUR SOCIAL TREATISE 245 spiritual development met with obstacles at every step. Clearly Manu’s social code is totally unacceptable in the society that Ananda Marga wants to establish. The specialities of the Ananda Marga social system are as follows: 1. Social laws and regulations are formulated in accordance with the needs and aspirations of the people. 2. Truth is accepted, and the dark aspects of life are not given any scope to flourish. 3. Emphasis is placed on the physical, psychic and spiritual progress of all people, and these aspects of life are actively promoted. The following factors are essential to build an ideal social system: unity, social security and peace.

Unity

In any society or social structure, unity among the members is indispensable. Otherwise the structure will fall apart. Social disunity, economic self-interest, and lack of magnanimity of mind and understanding of others’ actions or viewpoints, are factors that not only degrade society, but also cause it to be wiped off the very face of the earth. In the short annals of human history there are many societies that have completely disappeared, leaving very little trace. So it is of paramount importance to know how to maintain social unity. Social unity and solidarity are only possible if the members of society are inspired to pursue the following ideals: a common ideology, a casteless society, collective social functions and no capital punishment. In the Ananda Marga social system all these four factors are present. A common ideology: At an early age, that is, at the age of five, when a child starts acquiring knowledge, he or she should be taught a process of Cosmic ideation. A society based 246 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 on Ananda Marga principles has a common ideological goal: the attainment of Brahma. Brahma is the Eternal and Supreme Entity. Abiding peace is possible only if Parama Puruïa is taken as the goal of life. In the economic sphere also, Ananda Marga has accepted this common goal. The entire wealth of the universe is the common patrimony of all human beings, and all are equally entitled to enjoy this wealth. At the outset of any festival or social function, the Saîgacchadhvaî Mantra2 should be recited so that everyone can reflect on the significance of the common ideal. Ananda Marga promotes love for the entire human race and the proper utilization of all wealth for the benefit of all. Those participating in a child-naming ceremony take collective responsibility for the physical, psychic and spiritual development of that child. This clearly demonstrates that Ananda Marga has an ideology that includes all. A casteless society: Any society that allows the predominance to a particular class or caste is bound to disintegrate. The curse of caste divisions is not found anywhere in the world except India. Small groups seeking social and economic privileges should not be given importance. Our Ananda Marga considers the entire human race to be one family, bound together by bonds of love. In Ananda Marga one introduces oneself merely as a living being; it is therefore impossible to establish anything other than a casteless society. The president, the committee members and the general members are not only members of society, they are also spiritual companions, sharing a common spiritual ideology. No matter what class or caste they [used to] belong to, they all

2 The spirit of this mantra is that all human beings are inseparably united. For the complete mantra and the English translation, see “Social Psychology”, “Ananda Marga – A Revolution” or “Problems of the Day” in Volume 1; for the author’s line- by-line explanation of the mantra, see “Saîgacchadhvaî” in Volume 3. Eds. OUR SOCIAL TREATISE 247 accept Brahma as their goal. A social structure has been created in which all the members consider themselves only as living beings. The entire family is not deprived of the joy of attending a social function if an individual family member makes a mistake. This precludes the possibility of forming a dissident group of excommunicated members. There is no special requirement for marriage, studying the scriptures or any development programme. In Ananda Marga looking after children is considered a social responsibility. There is no caste or colour bar for learning spiritual practices. Collective social functions: Many social problems arise due to lack of magnanimity of mind, such as not properly understanding or respecting the views of others. This not only keeps people apart, but also makes them hostile to each other. Festivals and social functions bring people together and create feelings of unity among them. When they participate in collective functions, they temporarily develop feelings of affinity. Ananda Marga encourages such social functions. Collective bathing and collective meditation on special occasions are as beneficial as other social functions. No ceremony or festival in Ananda Marga is performed in the presence of only one ácárya [spiritual teacher]. At least five Ananda Margis also have to be present. No capital punishment: Capital punishment leads to the degeneration of the moral standard of society. It also checks the progress of those who are punished. In addition, people who suffer severe social punishment form bands or groups with antisocial elements, and aggravate the problem of indiscipline and crime in society. In our Ananda Marga we do not support capital punishment or social punishment [i.e., excommunication]. As a punitive measure wrongdoers are not permitted to attend social functions for a certain period of time. After the period is over, 248 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 they are again allowed to attend social functions as before. This system of punishment does not affect the other members of their family. Nor does it affect the moral standard of those being punished, which excommunication or penal servitude does.3 Another punishment is that one must bring ten people to the path of spirituality. Only then will one be permitted to attend social functions. This system of punishment is corrective in nature. Wrongdoers have the opportunity to rectify themselves instead of having their progress checked. This system of punishment does not cast any aspersions on the people concerned or their families, and hence it does not lead to further indiscipline or crime. On the contrary, those undergoing punishment utilize their time in a better way than others when they try to inspire ten people to embrace spirituality. In teaching a noble ideology, they do good both to themselves and society. Nobody should be punished in hot haste. First people should be given a chance to rectify themselves. It has been stated in Caryácarya Part 2: 1. Criminals should first be persuaded to change their ways. 2. If they fail to comply, as a second step they should be bluntly ordered to change their ways. 3. If they still fail to change their ways, they should be informed of the probable punitive measures that will be taken against them. 4. As a final resort, disciplinary measures must be taken against the offenders. Criminals will automatically live in constant fear of punishment.4

3 See also the subsection No capital punishment in “Social Psychology” in Volume 1. –Eds. 4 See point 28 in “Society”, Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 2, 1956, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

OUR SOCIAL TREATISE 249

Social Security

The absence of social security leads to social disunity. Society cannot last long if it does not guarantee the safety or security of its members against wrongdoers and injustice. The absence of discipline may also endanger social security. So for the maintenance of social security, both justice and discipline are essential. Justice: It is very important for a secure society not to subject people to any form of injustice due to their economic status, sex or caste. Economic injustice springs mainly from lack of respect for the dignity of labour. In other words, it takes place due to occupational differences. In Ananda Marga the life of a scavenger is considered more respectable than that of a social parasite. Social injustices are bound to be eradicated when importance is given to people’s efforts to earn their livelihood. Economic injustice may also arise from people’s desire to accumulate excessive wealth. Selfish people want to appropriate all the resources for themselves. But if they can be made to realize that all members of society have an equal right to utilize these resources, the economic problems confronting society will be greatly reduced. Ananda Marga considers the entire property of the universe to be the property of all. In a society where this is the common ideal, there is little scope for economic injustice. Discrimination between men and women also encourages injustice. In society there is a marked tendency to consider women inferior to men. In many parts of the world women are looked upon as mere objects of enjoyment. In some countries they are even considered unfit to learn spiritual practices. Our Ananda Marga grants equal rights to both men and women. Men and women have equal rights to be married according to the Ananda Marga system. Our social system 250 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 gives equal respect to men and women; thus there is no scope for men to be considered superior to women. Similarly, if the people of a particular caste are considered superior to other castes, this will encourage economic injustice. In India the so-called upper-caste Hindus commit injustice against the Harijan community (the so-called untouchables). This has created a serious rift in Indian society. To eradicate this sort of social injustice, caste divisions should be completely abolished. In Ananda Marga, at the time of receiving initiation, a new member is taught to forget both their caste and colour. In the functions and festivals of a society based on caste divisions, the influence of caste prejudice is tremendous. In the collective functions and festivals of Ananda Marga, everyone is free to participate, irrespective of their caste, community or colour. In society as a whole, too much importance is given to caste and communal differences. Ananda Marga rejects these narrow sentiments.5 Discipline: Throughout history it has been observed that in the absence of discipline many societies have been obliterated from the face of the earth. Indisciplined behaviour by a handful of people severely disrupts the lives of others. Discipline is essential for social security. Normally social indiscipline arises when a few people think that the existing laws and regulations are defective and inadequate. If such thinking remains confined to debate and discussion, it will not cause any major social problems. However, the maintenance of social discipline in society requires the laws and regulations to be rational and capable of amendment. In Ananda Marga there is no place for irrationality. In a society where rationality is given sufficient importance for amendments to be permitted, discontent and indiscipline are

5 See also “Social Justice” and “Justice” in Volume 1. –Eds. OUR SOCIAL TREATISE 251 absent and unknown. In Ananda Marga obedience followed by rationality are the means to maintain social harmony. People should first obey the social codes, and then if they find any defects, they should have the right to initiate debates and discussions and suggest amendments to the defective laws. But if people start arguing without showing obedience, social indiscipline will result. The social code of conduct of Ananda Marga gives more importance to rationality than to blind obedience. Thus there is little chance of destroying the system.

Peace

A state of mental equilibrium and equipoise is called peace. It is important to know how the state of peace is attained and how it is disturbed. A systematic spiritual practice leads to psychic balance, whereas a dogmatic belief in superstition disturbs mental peace. Spiritual discipline and a relentless struggle against superstition are required to maintain psychic peace. The principal aim of human life is to be free of suffering and misery. Otherwise one cannot hope to attain peace. The cessation of suffering is of two types: temporary and permanent. That which brings about the temporary cessation of suffering is called artha. But artha is crude and can therefore only bring crude and temporary satisfaction. Paramártha is the only means to attain permanent relief from pain and affliction. Paramártha can only be attained through spiritual practices. That is why in Ananda Marga every member is encouraged to learn spiritual practices from the age of five. As one grows, one acquires tremendous physical, psychic and spiritual benefits.6

6 See also “Artha and Paramártha” in Volume 3. –Eds.

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The Ananda Marga method of spiritual practices does not encourage people to give up all worldly duties, but rather teaches them how to make the best utilization of their physical, subtle and causal potentialities so that they can attain permanent mental balance and peace and accelerate their physical, mental and spiritual progress. Ananda Marga teaches a methodical and scientific system of spiritual practices. Our social code provides clear guidelines about how members will adapt to this modern, rapidly-changing world. There have been more changes in the past 200 years than in the 800 years prior to that. In education, culture, dress and food habits major changes have taken place. Old, outdated wooden shoes, turbans, etc., have been replaced by modern shoes, hats and clothes made from synthetic fabrics with contemporary designs. Primitive bullock carts, horse-drawn carriages, hackney coaches, etc., have been replaced by fast-moving cars, trains and aeroplanes. In the past people used to travel by elephant, but now they can travel to other planets by rocket. In order to keep pace with the accelerating speed of development in the world, there should be a proper adjustment between the body and the mind. For this reason Ananda Marga spiritual practices place a great deal of importance on ásanas [physical postures], práòáyáma [respiratory control], etc. Summing up, Ananda Marga’s social code fulfils all the conditions of an ideal social code: it is universal, rational and psychological. It is eminently suited to the development of a dynamic social structure in this rapidly-changing world. As it has been formulated to meet people’s physical, psychic and social needs, it has gained the enthusiastic support of people from all walks of life. They are actively engaged in implementing it.

24 February 1967 Tattva Kaomudii Part 2

RELATIVE KNOWLEDGE AND ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE

This quinquelemental universe is a relative truth, a changing reality, a passing show, an endless stream of constantly changing events. It rests on the pillars of the three relative factors: time, space and person. Space is in perpetual motion. It is composed of countless atoms and molecules. Any change in the movement of atoms and molecules will automatically bring about a change in space. That is why numerous rich and beautiful cities of the past are now buried under the earth. Many splendid palaces and mansions, many churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and pyramids, have been reduced to rubble. With the flow of time, how many major changes have occurred in the universe? With the change in time and space, people also change. A small, two-year-old boy becomes a smart, active, twenty-five- year-old youth. And in due course the same energetic youth becomes an infirm, inactive, old man. Nothing in this universe is permanent. Many gigantic animals of the past have become totally extinct. Royal pomp and opulence, the pride of power, the vast knowledge of mighty scholars, have become things of the past, thrown into the dustbin of history. Many things have appeared, remained on earth for a short time, and then, in accordance with the inexorable laws of nature, disappeared once more. The only eternal truth is Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. He is anadi, beginningless, endless, all- pervading, beyond the scope of time, place and person. He is the only eternal, undecaying, imperishable, immutable Entity. 254 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

He is the Supreme Source from which the inanimate, plant and animal worlds have emerged. He is the starting point and the culminating point of all. Therefore wise people should utilize their physical, psychic and spiritual power to realize that Supreme Omni-Telepathic Entity, to become one with Him.1

Two Branches of Knowledge

Knowledge of the objective and subjective worlds is divided into two branches: prápta vákya and ápta vákya. Whatever people learn from the external world – be it from a book of facts or a learned discourse or any other type of information – is prápta vákya [“relative knowledge”]. It is sometimes correct, sometimes incorrect. When, through psycho-spiritual practices, people expand their minds to the vastness of the Comic Mind, they can receive instructions or directions directly from Him due to His proximity. The knowledge thus acquired is called ápta vákya [“absolute knowledge”]. As people receive the knowledge directly from the Cosmic Mind, that knowledge is true and will benefit all people in all ages and in all countries. Absolute knowledge is the direct message from God. There are three sources of relative knowledge: direct perception, inference and authority. Now, let us see which is reliable and to what extent. Direct perception: Empiricists contend that perception is the only source of proper knowledge, and that what cannot be perceived cannot be considered the truth. They argue, “How can something which cannot be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched be accepted as true?” But the question is, if the indriyas [organs] through which we gather knowledge are

1 The author also says: “Parama Puruïa is my Father, Paramá Prakrti [Supeme Operative Principle] is my Mother, and the universe is my homeland.” See “Problems of the Day”, section 1, in Volume 1. Philosophically, God means Supreme Consciousness. –Eds. RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE 255 defective, how can we gain true knowledge? Similarly, if the object to be assimilated is defective or if the radiation of inferential waves is problematic, proper knowledge cannot be acquired. That is why in the shadows of the night we wrongly take a piece of rope for a snake; even by day we cannot tell the difference between tomato, chili and eggplant seeds in the same container; and a bushy tamarind tree or date palm which we know by day, we take at night to be a ghost, and frighten ourselves out of our wits. Thus, if there is the slightest defect in the knower, the object to be known or the knowledge that links the two, proper knowledge will not be possible. Inference: Can one acquire real knowledge through inference? Suppose smoke is rising from a mountain. People may at first think that the mountain is on fire, but a close examination of the area will reveal that the smoke is actually coming from a nearby village where the inhabitants are cooking and the smoke has simply accumulated near the mountain. Inference in this case proves false. If people look out over the desert on a hot day, they will see a vast lake shimmering in the distance. In reality this is only a mirage. Yet thousands of people may see the mirage and swear that it is a lake. So inference is an unreliable source of knowledge. Authority: The third source of knowledge, agama [authoritative scripture], can provide real knowledge. However, if it is not based on spiritual realization, if it is a mere interpolation created by the fertile mind of an opportunistic vipra, it will never be able to provide real knowledge, but will instead sow seeds of disharmony and dissension among people. For example, the scripture of a certain community states that the earth is fixed and the sun is moving around it. Science has, of course, demonstrated that this statement is completely incorrect. However, if an erudite scientist points out the mistake, orthodox followers of the scripture will brand him or her an atheist. The scripture of another community proclaims 256 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 that the followers of their religion are the favourite children of God and everyone else is a damned heathen. To kill them is therefore not a sin; rather one will attain a permanent place in heaven after one’s death. Such scriptures are extremely damaging to human society.2 It can therefore be seen that relative knowledge only promotes human welfare in a few cases, whereas absolute knowledge is always beneficial to human welfare.

Paths to Social Welfare

Generally there are three recognized ways to bring about social welfare: the rule of brute force, the rule of reason and spiritual leadership. The rule of brute force: Sometimes people are made to follow rules laid down by the dictatorial decrees of their leaders. But these dictatorial decrees are far from benevolent. The leaders trick people into believing that they are acting for their welfare, but they are in fact solely concerned with promoting their petty personal interests, with amassing power and privileges. Their guidance is not at all conducive to the development of social welfare. For example, the British government ruled India for 200 years,3 but how much real progress was there in India during that period? By and large, the purpose of their rule was their own self-aggrandizement. The political leaders of many countries have led their countries to the brink of war. The political history of Germany, Italy, Spain, Pakistan and China is clear evidence of this truth.

2 In the two examples given in the previous sentences, the author appears to be criticizing the scriptures of Hindus and Muslims respectively. (The medieval Roman Catholic Church also maintained the Bible taught geocentrism, which was generally accepted until about the 17th century.) –Eds. 3 The British East India Company ruled India from 1757 to 1858, followed by the British government from 1858 to 1947. –Eds.

RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE 257

Even though thousands of citizens hardly get enough food to fill their stomachs, their leaders continue to spend vast amounts of money on arms. History does provide some examples of benign, enlightened kings, such as Ashoka the Great and Alfred the Great, who did some good to society, but they are few in number. Most were warmongers, such as Genghis Khan.4 They were so cruel that they stained the green earth under their feet with blood, and caused the sky to resound with the wails and tears of their innocent victims. The rule of a brutal dictator is no rule at all. The rule of reason: What is reason or logic? There are three aspects to logic: váda, jalpa and vitaòdá. In the battlefield an efficient general does not join the battle without first training his own army. First, he sends out his intelligence agents to find the weak points in the opposing army. Secondly, he positions his army in a way that would allow him to mount a surprise attack on the enemy installations. Thirdly, the moment he gets the opportunity, he invades the enemy camp and wins complete victory. Through an identical process, logicians strive to detect the loopholes and weaknesses in their adversary’s argument. This part of a debate is called váda. The next stage is that the logician formulates a convincing argument to defeat the logic put forward by his or her opponent. This part of the debate is called jalpa. In the third stage the logician presents his or her views so clearly and convincingly that his or her adversary is completely defeated. This part of the debate is called vitaòda. Yukti [reason] is when one’s mind is completely skilled at these three aspects of logic. Reason comes within the scope of relative knowledge. In a rational discussion, if the first premise is wrong, the conclusion is bound to be wrong, and as a result many people

4 Ashoka the Great reigned from about 268 to 232 BCE; Alfred the Great from 871 to 899; Genghis Khan from 1206 to 1227. –Eds. 258 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 may come to the wrong conclusion. For example, if after studying some old books on geography, a person argues that Allahabad is the capital of Uttar Pradesh or that Cuttack is the capital of Odisha, it would be ludicrous. Rice also comes within the sphere of relative knowledge because we do not get rice directly from God, we get it indirectly. But if one resolves to lead an honest life from this very moment, that realization is absolute knowledge because absolute knowledge comes directly from the Supreme and creates a special type of awareness in the human mind. Spiritual leadership: Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah [“That which liberates through discipline is called shástra (‘scripture’)”]. Even ordinary people who live their lives in accordance with absolute knowledge become noble and great. That is why we see that people like Kabir and Ramakrishna,5 who had no formal schooling, were highly regarded by tens of thousands of people. In fact, it is doubtful whether learned scholars could bring about even a small fraction of the spiritual progress in society that these great people achieved. The amount of social good achieved by administrators is very insignificant. Bureaucratic rule is no rule at all. It provides no inspiration to work whatever and merely injects a fear complex in people’s minds. Bureaucrats do not inspire the confidence of the people, and once they are removed from power they lose their social prestige.

Social Progress and the Branches of Knowledge

Social progress is to some extent achieved in the realm of relative knowledge, but it is highly likely that relative knowledge and absolute knowledge will conflict. Relative

5 Kabir lived in the 15th century; Ramakrishna: 1836-1886. –Eds. RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE 259 knowledge often encourages divisive ideas and the propagation of narrow sentiments, such as casteism, nationalism, communalism, provincialism, etc., by extolling the greatness of caste, nationality, [religious] community, creed and colour. It often encourages people to suppress other castes, communities, creeds, etc., or to annihilate them completely. On the other hand, absolute knowledge teaches that human dharma is one and the same for all and that Supreme Consciousness is the Universal Father. All human beings everywhere are brothers and sisters; all are equal – no one is low, no one is high. On the basis of relative knowledge, people may concoct spurious arguments to prove that Supreme Consciousness does not exist, that He is a mere figment of the imagination. A weak mind may accept such arguments, but the heart can never do so. Whenever there is a conflict between the mind and the heart, intelligent people should listen to the call of the heart. The books of Ananda Marga philosophy all contain absolute knowledge. Absolute knowledge may be recognized by the fact that it is universal, rational and psychological. Below are some examples of absolute knowledge: the goal of human life is the attainment of Brahma [the Supreme Entity]; human beings are the progeny of Supreme Consciousness; the universe is created by the Macrocosmic connation; matter is the crudified form of the Cosmic Mind; through sadhana human beings gradually become divine; whoever is born will one day have to die; liberation is the birthright of all living beings; human society is one and indivisible; diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in the universe are exactly the same. To what extent can people depend on relative knowledge? Relative knowledge may be accepted as long as it does not conflict with absolute knowledge, but in situations where it does more harm than good, it should not be made use of. This is because opportunists use relative knowledge to exploit people’s psychological weaknesses. 260 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

For example, the karmaváda [the doctrine of action and reaction] of the Giitá and the theory of the transmigration of souls [reincarnation] have been interpreted in such an unscientific way that they have proved extremely harmful for society. Vipras who lick the boots of the capitalists trick hungry shúdras into believing that poverty is a result of their previous misdeeds. They admonish them that they will have to be prepared to wait until their next life to enjoy whatever better times fate may have in store for them. Such brainwashing turns a whole group of people into passive fatalists. It also paves the way for the ruthless exploitation of society by the capitalists. Once a reputed professor from Calcutta [Kolkata] stated that the beef-eating race enjoys an independent political life. This statement became popular among Indian students and many enthusiastic students were misguided by it. Today in the communist countries thousands of people are being killed in the name of communism.6 So the value of relative knowledge should be assessed in the light of universal humanism. If it promotes universal humanism, society will tolerate it, but once it goes against the spirit of universal humanism, it will forfeit its right to exist.

25 February 1967, Ranchi Tattva Kaomudii Part 2

6 For example, during the period people were sent to the Gulag in Russia, which lasted from 1930 to 1960, and during the Cultural Revolution in China, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, it is estimated at least 2.5 million people were killed. –Eds.

THE HUMAN SEARCH FOR REAL PROGRESS

What is progress? Prakrsta gati ityartha pragati. [The meaning of pragati (“progress”) is “movement that leads to advancement”.] Where movement is towards shubha [advancement], it is called “progress”. Where the movement is not linked to shubha, it is retardation. For example, going up a hill and then down again are both movement, but in different directions. What do we really mean by progress? Normally people associate the word “progress” with scientific progress, but actually scientific progress may or may not be genuine progress. The essence of progress is the movement towards shubha. Human existence is trifarious. It has physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects. There is movement in all three spheres, and therefore progress may occur in all three spheres. The main consideration, however, should be the goal or the aim of the movement. In other words, we want to know what the summum bonum of life is. Progress is movement that leads from shubha to parama shubha [lasting attainment].

Progress in the Physical Sphere

Let us examine what we mean by the word progress as it relates to the physical sphere. People think that the use of a motor vehicle instead of a bullock cart, the use of an aeroplane instead of a motor vehicle, or the use of a rocket instead of an aeroplane, is progress. To take another example: at first people used to sleep on the ground, then they used a light bedstead, and nowadays they sleep on spring mattresses. This is also 262 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 considered to be progress. In olden days people used to write on palm leaves and on bhurja-patra [birch leaves]; nowadays they write on paper. In all these examples the use of physical objects brings an increased amount of pleasure; this is the prerequisite for progress. In other words, progress is considered to be synonymous with an increase in pleasure. Sleeping on a spring bed is more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Similarly, the aeroplane takes away much of the tedium of travel. So progress is equated with material enjoyment. Enjoyment is not necessarily limited to the physical sphere. It may also be experienced in the intellectual and spiritual spheres. Who is the subject of the enjoyer? It is the mind. The mind experiences physical as well as intellectual pleasure. The experience of spiritual happiness is psycho-spiritual. Even this is partly mental. All kinds of pleasure is enjoyed through the mind, therefore all pleasures have their origins within the arena of mental waves. Mental pleasure, like physical pleasure, is enjoyed by the mind; therefore it is vibrational. In the vibrational field equilibrium is maintained when the two opposite forces, the positive and the negative, are in balance. Thus happiness and unhappiness increase proportionately and we see that in the physical sphere. The so- called progress of science is responsible for an equal degree of happiness and unhappiness. The use of motorcars in place of bullock carts involves not only greater physical comfort, but also a far greater risk of accidents. The use of aeroplanes increases the comfort of travelling and the risks in almost equal proportions. Thus we find that in the physical sphere the enjoyment of pleasure is neutralized by the negative experience of pain. The mind’s experience of pleasure can be divided into five categories: anukúlavedaniiyam, pratikúlavedaniiyam, avedaniiyam, nirapekïavedaniiyam and aplutavedaniiyam. THE HUMAN SEARCH FOR REAL PROGRESS 263

These are the five forms taken by feelings. Progress can only occur through the experience of these feelings. Wherever there is progress, one or more or all of these feelings are being expressed. Only two of these feelings get expressed in the physical sphere, and they are primarily physico-psychic. In the physical body there is no experience of pleasure as such. In the physical body the experience of pleasure comes from the relaxation of the nerves. The relaxed nerves emanate a certain type of mental vibration called anukúlavedaniiyam. Where there is tension or the disruption of the nerves, another kind of vibration is generated which is known as pratikúlavedaniiyam. The other three types of feelings are not expressed in the physical sphere. What we call progress in the physical sphere is merely the experience of anukúlavedaniiyam. We either fail to see or purposely ignore its essential counterpart, pratikúlavedaniiyam. Sometimes people make a conscious effort to forget this negative side, and add together the positive marks for anukúlavedaniiyam, place zeros on the debit side, and proclaim that we are making progress. In fact, if we looked clearly at both sides, we would find that the positive and negative balance is nil and would realize that there is no progress in the physical sphere. It is like a government accepting the recommendations of a commission to increase the pay scale of employees and recovering the increased expenditure through higher taxation. Can this be called economic progress? Certainly not, because it fails to increase purchasing power. The assertion that progress has taken place in the physical sphere is only incorrect mathematics.

Progress in the Psychic Sphere

Let us now examine the psychic sphere. In this sphere four types of feelings are expressed: anukúlavedaniiyam, 264 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 pratikúlavedaniiyam, avedaniiyam and nirapekïavedaniiyam. There is one important difference between the psychic and physical spheres. In the psychic sphere the relaxation or strain of the nerves is not the primary reason for the arousal of feelings. The chief characteristic of the psychic sphere is that mental hunger increases. The hunger of the mind increases but the dimensions of the mind do not. So in the psychic sphere anukúlavedaniiyam is the mental state in which the mind wants to get more food. In order to maintain the balance, there is a corresponding increase in pratikúlavedaniiyam. To illustrate this point it may be noted that in ancient times, when people were intellectually backward, they also suffered less from emotional disturbances. A person who is intellectually deficient is also less easily emotionally disturbed. Highly intellectual people are emotionally highly sensitive. They create unnecessary problems out of nothing and waste sleepless nights worrying about them. Thus in the intellectual sphere anukúlavedaniiyam and pratikúlavedaniiyam balance each other out. The absence of pleasure or pain – which is called nirapekïavedaniiyam – is, in effect, psychic suppression or repression. This is an unnatural state of mind which may last five minutes or ten minutes, five days or ten days, or even a period of years, but once the control is removed the mind will again burst out and the experience of either anukúlavedaniiyam or pratikúlavedaniiyam will return. Psychic suppression or repression does not therefore lead to progress. What is avedaniiyam? In ordinary circumstances avedaniiyam is most unnatural. In this condition either the nerve cells stop functioning or their function is forcibly suspended. In some circumstances it may amount to a refusal to admit the existence of the mundane world. It is a denial of the crude physical world. It is an attitude which holds that whatever exists is only illusory. This is a form of self- THE HUMAN SEARCH FOR REAL PROGRESS 265 deception. It is a state comparable with death. Such an attitude promotes nihilism. It is not natural to promote nihilism. Therefore the ultimate effect of avedaniiyam may also be seen in the condition of anukúlavedaniiyam or pratikúlavedaniiyam. This condition will manifest as a result of either an internal or external blow to the mind. It is therefore apparent that there is no progress in the psychic sphere. For example, it may be true to say that thousands of years ago people in India were intellectually backward as compared to the Indians of today. The same psychic pleasures experienced by Indian people today were not available to them. But it is also true that the mental suffering experienced by Indian people today was less acute in the past. Thus, after adding up all the pluses and minuses, we can conclude that there cannot be any progress in the intellectual sphere.

Progress in the Spiritual Sphere

Now let us examine the spiritual sphere. Here anukúlavedaniiyam, pratikúlavedaniiyam, avedaniiyam and nirapekïavedaniiyam cannot find expression. The reason is that as the goal is infinite, the states of anukúlavedaniiyam, pratikúlavedaniiyam, avedaniiyam and nirapekïavedaniiyam do not exist. Only one type of feeling is expressed in the spiritual sphere, and that is aplutavedaniiyam. Its expression may be either non- lateral or multilateral. When it is non-lateral, there is no scope for the formation of saîskáras [mental reactive momenta], and when it is multilateral, it is inaccessible to the effects of saîskáras. The expression of the Cosmological vibration is multilateral. This is called saîskrta vedaná in Sanskrit. The non-lateral expression or the non-subjective vibration can be 266 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 fittingly called bahuprajinána vedaná or bhásottara vedaná in Sanskrit. Aplutavedaniiyam functions through one-pointed psychic existence, which is a non-subjective vibration. The speciality of bhásottara vedaná is that in this phase negative speed is not required to maintain the equilibrium of the pendulum. In the absence of negative speed, every movement involves progress. There is no question of minuses; there are only pluses. It is a movement from negativity to positivity, and is therefore the only real form of progress. Samismrta vedaná is psycho-spiritual – an event happens in the psychic sphere but impinges on the spiritual sphere. There can be no progress in the physical sphere as the pluses and minuses there cancel each other out. The same goes for the psychic sphere. But in the psycho-spiritual sphere progress is possible. It can also be measured to some extent, but progress in the purely spiritual sphere cannot be measured, as we have no yardstick by which to measure that sphere. So-called physical progress is known as káma in Sanskrit. So-called intellectual progress is known as artha. Artha has a dual meaning: it is used in the sense of purport as well as meaning “wealth that solves a pending problem”. Progress in the psycho-spiritual sphere is known as “dharma”. And pure spiritual progress, which is progress in the real sense, is called mokïa [“emancipation”]. The only difference between psycho- spiritual progress and spiritual progress is that the former can be measured whereas the latter cannot. The combined name of káma, artha, dharma and mokïa is caturvarga [the four kinds of basic mental drives in human beings]. People should aim to achieve dharma and mokïa and not káma and artha, as only through dharma and mokïa is real progress possible.

THE HUMAN SEARCH FOR REAL PROGRESS 267

The Effects of Progress

It has been stated above that there is no progress in the physical and intellectual spheres. So should all efforts to progress in these spheres stop altogether? Should the effort to develop physical sciences cease? No, we must continue to make efforts in these spheres too. But we must carefully monitor the effects such efforts have on society, the human mind and even the human physical structure. What happens as a result of so-called progress in the physical sphere is that the speed of life increases and this affects the nerves, resulting in an increase in the function of the cranium which in turn leads to a weakening of the heart. A natural consequence of physical progress due to the advance of the physical sciences will be a proportionate increase in the diseases of the heart and mind. Many so-called civilized people cannot sleep due to nervous strain. Diseases that were considered fatal 200 years ago are no longer life-threatening. They have become common today. Nowadays fatal diseases are mostly connected with the heart and nerves. This is the result of so-called progress in the physical sphere. In the future the human physical structure will be affected by these factors. The nerves will stiffen and the cranium will become larger. The bones, on the other hand, will become thinner. This will result in a change in the structure of human beings. They will develop thin limbs and a disproportionately large head. This transformation will take place quickly in the near future. So-called intellectual progress affects the mind intensely. The nervous system and the mind are not the same. The nerve cells are physical and any disease connected with them is therefore physical. What we call insanity is either due to a nervous disorder or a mental disorder or both. Progress in the intellectual sphere will result in a greater clash of the emotions, 268 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 which will in turn lead to an increase in the incidence of insanity. There will be a noticeable increase in the number of insane people in society. This will make it even clearer that intellectual progress is not progress. The only real progress is spiritual progress. In the spiritual sphere, due to the absence of saîskáras, there is no retardation; there is only movement forward. This is true progress. Spiritual progress can only be made if there is a strong physical and psychic base. This physical and intellectual base has to be constantly adjusted to the changing conditions of time and space. Sádhakas [spiritual aspirants] have to devise ways to protect themselves from saîskáras in the physical and intellectual spheres. When the time comes for people’s nerves to increase in size and the cranium to enlarge, spiritual aspirants will also be subject to these changes. How then can one escape? There should certainly be some way to escape the extreme effects of these changes. The cruder waves should be converted into subtler ones. When the vibrations of pleasure or pain in the physical sphere are converted into physico-psychic vibrations, the feeling of pleasure or pain will not be as acute, although the physical sphere will remain as large as before. This process will save the mind from reaction. As there will be no attraction towards pleasure, it will also save one from pain – not fully, but partially. And, in order to escape the saîskáras, the intellectual waves will have to be transmuted into psycho-spiritual ones. This will to some extent protect one from the saîskáras in the psychic sphere – neither pleasure nor pain will overwhelm the mind. This stage is described in the Giitá as Dukhesu anudvigna manah, sukhesu vigatasprahah. [“The less the desire for pleasure, the more one will escape from the reaction of pain.”] THE HUMAN SEARCH FOR REAL PROGRESS 269

For human beings, the only true progress is spiritual progress. Wise people will therefore concern themselves only with the spiritual sphere. They will only concern themselves with the physical and intellectual spheres in order to adjust the base on which their spiritual progress will thrive. As they make adjustments in the physical and intellectual spheres, the wise should at the same time continue to transmute crude waves into subtler waves according to the process described above. An absence of this conversion or transmutation in the physical and intellectual spheres will inevitably lead to retardation. The wise will remember that the goal of life is the subtlest goal and will make efforts to attain supreme blessedness. This is the only way to progress. There is no other way. Nányah panthá vidyate ayanáya. [No other path is known for eternal truth.]

27 May 1967, RU, Allahabad

THEORY AND PRACTICE

A theory that arises from the world of application can be materialized with little effort. Its materialization will depend upon the effort invested, time and the right opportunity. When a theory precedes practice, however, the theory may or may not be materialized. There are four main factors that are responsible for the failure of a theory. The first factor is hypocrite’s psychology.

Hypocrite’s Psychology

Hypocrites formulate theories but they do not implement them in the practical world. In the name of a theory, hypocrites serve their own purpose and that of their group, hence their theories are never materialized. They are only for show. In ancient times, in the Middle Ages and in modern times, a great many people formulated such theories. Their propounders were hypocrites. They mislead the common people with high- sounding language. Lord Shiva had this to say about such people: Loka vyámoha karaka. [“They create disease in the minds of the people.”] They do not aim to solve society’s problems, but instead are the chief cause of the downfall, degeneration and pitiful condition of society. They are the real cause of the present crisis in today’s civilization. Their theories are based on the psychology and intellectual extravaganza of the hypocrite. You will certainly encounter many such social, economic as well as other theories. This is not the problem of a single country but of the entire intellectual world. Again I repeat that the crisis in civilization today is due to the intellectual THEORY AND PRACTICE 271 extravaganza of those hypocrites, of those mean-minded demons. Take the mixed economy, for example. Those who have any sense know that such an economy is a farce. It has never been implemented in the past nor will it ever be implemented in future. It is a white lie. Nor are its exponents interested in implementing it, for their motive is simply to dupe the people. Peaceful co-existence is another case in point. It too has never been put into practice, nor will it ever be in the future. Democratic socialism is yet another example. It can be characterized as gold china. China is porcelain, not gold. Behind all this, the hypocrite’s intellect is at work. It is one of the four factors responsible for the failure of a theory.

Theoretician’s Psychology

The second factor is theoretician’s psychology. When theoreticians expound a theory, they do not study the world to ascertain whether the theory can be applied in practice. Blind to what is underneath their feet and with total disregard for reality, they build castles high in the sky. After some time most theoretician’s philosophies fade into obscurity. So many theories have been expounded throughout the history of India. Some of them have even been applied in the practical sphere and have met with a certain amount of success. But you will observe that, among the five theist philosophies,1 the Nyáya philosophy (not the Nyáya of Kaòáda but that of

1 The Ïaìadarshana, or six major schools of orthodox Indian philosophy, are: Kápila Sáîkhya, Pátaiôjala Sáîkhya, Gaotamiiya Nyáya, Kaòádiiya Nyáya, Púrva Miimáîsá and Uttara Miimáîsá. From the orthodox viewpoint all of these philosophies are theist, however Kápila Sáîkhya is actually an atheistic philosophy because it did not clearly accept the existence of God. See also “Views of Other Faiths” in Volume 1. So here “the five theist philosophies” means the Ïaìadarshana minus Kápila Sáîkhya. –Eds.

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Gaotama) soars high in the sky without showing any concern for the practical realm. Therefore no practical application of Gaotamiiya Nyáya was possible. In medieval India many Nyáya scholars researched the question of whether oil is contained in a pot or a pot contains the oil. This has nothing to do with the real world. Some people may wonder why there was not more development in Pathan India,2 in spite of a large number of scholars. The reason is the excessive influence of the Nyáya philosophy, which was completely impractical. There is one more defect in the theoretician’s psychology. Human life has three aspects: physical, intellectual and spiritual. However, the theoreticians confine their efforts to the intellectual realm, ignoring the physical and spiritual spheres. They did not go into the spiritual realm, and as a result they were unable to transform their theories into applied theories. First, their theories were impractical; secondly, there was a lack of effort to materialize them.

Inefficiency in the Field of Application

The third factor is inefficiency in the field of application. Even if the theory is correct, it is not materialized due to inexperience or some other defect. Sometimes people are efficient in their individual lives but totally ineffective in collective life. Many great saints lived in India during the Baoddha yogácára period,3 but they were only successful in their individual lives. They did not care about the world, nor did they attempt to make people more effective in their practical lives. Those who are acquainted with the philosophical life of India at that time know that, due to the lack of a proper theory, people were influenced by the

2 The Pathan period lasted from 1193 to 1526. –Eds. 3 Baoddha yogácára is a school of Buddhist philosophy that was influential up to about 1,300 years ago. –Eds. THEORY AND PRACTICE 273 philosophy of Shankaracharya. This led to an intellectual vacuum in India after Shankaracharya, a vacuum which proved damaging. This vacuum occurred between the death of Shankaracharya and the advent of Mahaprabhu.4

Environmental Difficulty

The fourth factor is environmental difficulty. The expounder of any theory is immersed in a particular mental environment. He or she creates a world in their mind and tests out the theory in the mental sphere. Let us take Marxism as an example. Its propounder was very perceptive, and the theory that he created in his mental laboratory was partially correct. But the crust of the earth and the mental laboratory are by no means the same. The crust is quite hard. When this particular theory was introduced in the practical world, it was unsuccessful. In the mental environment the theory was correct, but in the practical world it was not in consonance with the actual environment. To give another example: in your psychic world you can imagine that instead of water in the river Ganges there is milk. You can then plan how to manufacture delicious sweets out of that milk and how to market them. But remember, water flows in the Ganges, not milk. Thus we can see that a theory made in a particular psychic environment can totally fail in practice.

When Theory Follows Practice

Many difficulties will be encountered if theory precedes practice. But when theory follows practice, it has a practical

4 Shankaracharya lived about 1,300 years ago; Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in 1486 and died in 1534. So the period of the intellectual vacuum corresponds to the Puranic and Pathan Ages, which lasted from about 700 to 1526. –Eds.

274 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 application. First the apple fell and then the theory was formulated.5 The apple did not fall according to the theory. Lord Sadáshiva was the first to realize that a theory can only have practical value if it follows practice. He observed all the large and small events of this world to which people become attracted, without knowing the reasons behind them. He eventually discovered the reasons, and on the basis of his findings expounded various theories. He envisaged the practical manifestation of the theories governing art, architecture, literature, dance, music, science, etc. His theory of Tantra 6 was based on the laboratory notes of a practical scientist. He invented a dance that vibrates the lymphatic glands in a way that develops manliness. He called the dance táòìava, which is derived from the Sanskrit word tandu which means “to jump”. Since tandu is in accordance with this, the dance is correctly called táòìava. Another dance [invented by Shiva’s wife, Párvatii] evokes feelings of lásya [softness] in the mind due to the way its gentle movements contract the lymphatic glands. As it softens people’s minds in accordance with the spirit of lásya, it is called lalita nrtya [“lalita dance”]. Thus Lord Sadáshiva perceived the inner spirit behind each action, gave it a theoretical base, and propagated it. A theory that is derived from practice will be successful. When two successfully-proven theories merge, a new resultant in the form of a new theory comes into being. If another theory is mixed with this resultant, another resultant is created. Thus through different syntheses six rágas and thirty- six ráginiis [classical melodies] came into existence. In this way the science of music was formulated. It was successful

5 In 1666 Sir Isaac Newton formulated the theory of gravity after an apple fell on his head while he was sitting under an apple tree. –Eds. 6 See also Discourses on Tantra Volume 1, 1993, and Volume 2, 1994, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. THEORY AND PRACTICE 275 because theory succeeded practice. By taking táì from Lord Sadáshiva’s táòìava nrtya and la from Párvatii’s lalita nrtya, a new resultant theory called tála [based on metre] was created in Indian music. You must always examine which comes first, the theory or the practice. If theory succeeds practice, it will definitely be materialized. The only variable is the time factor, and that will depend on the effort involved. The greater the effort, the less time is required for its materialization. Even if little effort is applied, it will still be materialized, but after a long time. I have already told you that human civilization is in danger. The chief reason is that theory has often preceded practice. And always remember the danger of the hypocrite’s psychology. You must not entertain any of the four factors that hinder a theory’s application.

May 1969, RU, Ranchi

NUCLEAR REVOLUTION

A society may be described as the collection of numerous parallel psychic waves, which are created due to the psychic tendency of moving together in unison. Human society attains the pinnacle of glory when people acquire the capacity to form a social structure inspired by a universal outlook and exalted ideas. Dynamicity and staticity are intrinsic to both the individual and collective movement. Society is constantly moving; inertia signifies death. Social movement is the active effort to demolish structures that have become static and construct something dynamic in their place. The characteristic of this movement is that it is rhythmic and systaltic in nature and never linear. Changes take place in all areas of individual and collective life due to changes in time, space and person. In the twentieth century the speed of social change has greatly accelerated in comparison to that experienced in social, economic, political and cultural life during the last 500 or 600 years. In the future the speed of social change will continue to increase.

The Nature of Revolution

One of the known agents of social change is viplava [revolution]. The Sanskrit word viplava is derived from the Vedic root verb vi minus plu plus al. In the wake of every revolution radical changes occur in individual and social life, resulting in a profound transformation in the collective psychology. The main feature of any revolution is the application of tremendous force to move society forward. Prout defines NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 277 revolution as follows: Tiivrashaktisampátena gativardhanaî viplavah. [Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “revolution”.] Replacing one age by another by crushing exploitation and bringing about a change in the collective psychology within a short period of time through the application of tremendous force is what is called revolution. If the reverse takes place, and the samája cakra [social cycle] moves in the opposite direction due to the application of tremendous force, it is called prativiplava [“counter- revolution”]. In a counter-revolution society moves back to the previous age. Prout defines counter-revolution as follows: Tiivrashaktisampátena vipariitadháráyaî prativiplavah. [Reversing the movement of the social cycle by the application of tremendous force is called “counter-revolution”.] The main task of revolution is to break through the barriers of staticity and inertia in the collective psychology of one age and move society forward into the next age in the order of the social cycle. Society moves according to the inexorable laws of the social cycle. Those who feel concerned about the collective welfare of the people will always make efforts to accelerate the speed of social movement by fighting relentlessly against exploitation, so that all members of society can move forward together in unison. In social life, when the collective psychology experiences a revolutionary change, certain factors are essential to that change. These factors include the revolt of the masses against exploitation, revolt against the status quo, the successful struggle by the benevolent forces against the malevolent forces, and the people’s longing for a new collective psychology. Civilization has now reached a critical transitional stage. The exploitation of one human being by another has reached alarming proportions. When exploitation had reached the zenith point at critical junctures in the past, history saw the 278 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 emergence of mighty personalities who were able to find solutions to the problems confronting society. Today also the guidance of a mighty personality with a comprehensive ideology is required to lead humanity away from the brink of disaster towards a glorious future. The guidance of such personalities is an indispensable historical necessity.

The Social Cycle

There are four main types of collective psychology. These psychologies are the shúdra, kïatriya, vipra and vaeshya. They have nothing to do with casteism and are purely psychological. Shúdras are those who are influenced by material waves; they cannot overpower material waves by their individual psychic waves. Manual labour is their only source of social security. Kïatriyas use their physico-psychic waves to bring the material waves under their control. Vipras do the same thing using their penetrating psychic waves. For the kïatriyas physical strength or valour is the principal means of attaining social security, while the vipras rely on their intellects. A study of history reveals that the vipras used their intellects to create in the minds of the kïatriyas a feeling of reverence and subordination, and through this they were able to control the kïatriyas’ physical strength and prowess. Vaeshya psychology is somewhat different. Vaeshyas experience enjoyment from the thought of accumulating material objects rather than from the material objects themselves. Primitive society was guided by shúdra mentality. Gradually society became more organized due to the influence of the kïatriyas, and the Kïatriya Age was established. This was an era of heroes and kings. The Kïatriya Age was subsequently replaced by the Vipra Age, the age of intellectuals and priests. Next came the age of the vaeshyas. The difference between the former two classes and the vaeshyas is that the vaeshyas NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 279 seldom gain direct power. They put the kïatriyas or vipras in power and control the society, economy and government from behind the scenes. Generally people experience less physical and psychic suffering during the Kïatriya and Vipra Ages than in the Vaeshya Age, where poverty, deprivation and exploitation are extreme. The transition from one age to the next may take place through natural change, evolution or revolution. Natural change or evolution can bring about a transition from the Kïatriya Age to the Vipra Age and from the Vipra Age to the Vaeshya Age. However, the exploitation of the vaeshyas cannot be brought to an end without the application of tremendous force. At the hands of vaeshya exploiters, those with kïatriya or vipra mentalities become disgruntled slaves. They have no alternative but to toil at the behest of the vaeshyas in order to fill their stomachs. Kïatriyas and vipras who become shúdras as a result of circumstantial pressure carry a simmering discontent in their hearts. They are known as vikïubdha shúdras [“disgruntled workers”]. These vikïubdha shúdras – the exploited vipras and kïatriyas – give voice to the frustrations of the masses and work systematically to end vaeshya exploitation. This class is distinguished by its revolutionary zeal. In order to create a revolution to terminate the Vaeshya Age, the vikïubdha shúdras must struggle unitedly. Shúdras can never be revolutionaries because they lack moral stamina, a sense of responsibility and fighting spirit. They are a prey to many vices and lack a clear understanding of human values; hence they are unable to develop the requisite revolutionary character. The vikïubdha shúdras develop into genuine revolutionaries because they have the capacity to acquire the moral courage and discipline necessary to oppose exploitation.

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Shúdra Revolution

The revolution against capitalist exploitation is known as “shúdra revolution”. Although the kïatriyas and vipras are turned into viïkubdha shúdras due to capitalist exploitation, immediately after the shúdra revolution, the viïkubdha shúdras revert back to their kïatriya and vipra natures. Because of the martial character of shúdra revolution, the leadership of society passes into the hands of the kïatriyas, and a new Kïatriya Age emerges. During the Kïatriya Age, the vipras try to gain influence through the force of their intellect and attempt to impose vipra values on society. The Vipra Age is followed by the Vaeshya Age and then again by shúdra revolution. It is therefore clear that the movement of the social cycle and revolution go hand in hand.1 The four types of psychology dominate the social cycle in rotation. Towards the end of an age the collective psychology undergoes marked deterioration. Moral degeneration and social repression cause psycho-social stagnation; exploitation becomes rampant. Unhealthy conditions of this sort are sure indicators of the end of an era. Each class tries to usurp social power and establish its hegemony by trampling on the rights of others. Such conflicts have occurred since the dawn of human civilization. Through these clashes human beings have been trying to find the path of emancipation. In the modern world capitalist exploitation is rampant almost everywhere. Capitalism is now rapidly moving into the final stage of degeneration. In the early part of the Vaeshya Age society experienced certain advantages, but towards the end humanity has become the victim of insatiable greed, unbearable

1 See also “Shúdra Revolution and Sadvipra Society”. –Eds.

NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 281 hardship and heartless deprivation. Those countries which are suffering under the weight of capitalist exploitation are moving rapidly towards shúdra revolution.

Types of Revolution

Generally speaking the types of revolution vary according to their form and character, and include coup d’états and pyramidical revolutions. Coup d’états and pyramidical revolutions are not revolutions in the true sense because they may or may not result in a change in the collective psychology and the accelerated movement of the social cycle. Prout recognizes another type of revolution called “nuclear revolution”. In a nuclear revolution every aspect of collective life – social, economic, political, cultural, psychic and spiritual – is completely transformed. New moral and spiritual values arise in society, which provide the impetus for accelerated social progress. The old era is replaced by a new era; one collective psychology is replaced by another. This type of revolution results in all-round development and social progress. A nuclear revolution can only be brought about by the sadvipras, who reside in the nucleus of the social cycle. Through their concerted efforts, moral and spiritual power and all-round endeavours, they mobilize the exploited sections of society to overthrow the ruling class, the exploiters. This struggle and mass upheaval liberates society from exploitation and ushers in a new era of peace and prosperity. Sadvipras will control the key points at the nucleus of the social structure. In a nuclear revolution there is a minimum loss of life and property, and the transformation of society is accomplished within a very short span of time.

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Requirements for Nuclear Revolution

There are several requirements for the success of nuclear revolution: the presence of some type of exploitation, a revolutionary organization, a positive philosophy, revolutionary cadres, infallible leadership and a revolutionary strategy. All these factors are essential. The presence of exploitation: There are various types of exploitation in society. The form and character of exploitation changes with changes in time, place and person. In every era of the social cycle various kinds of exploitation occur. For example, in the economic sphere there is feudal exploitation, colonial exploitation, capitalist exploitation, imperialist exploitation and fascist exploitation. Exploitation may take place in the physical, psychic, economic, political and cultural spheres. In the past the slave system was prevalent in the Greek and Roman Empires. The rulers sucked the blood of the vanquished to bolster their personal interests. Psychic exploitation is when the masses are misled by pseudo-philosophies, which encourage dogma and narrow-mindedness. Democratic socialism and the theory of peaceful co-existence are examples of hypocrite’s psychology. Economic exploitation is when vested interests deprive people of their minimum requirements. Money lending, the charging of exorbitant interest rates, compelling hard-pressed farmers to sell their produce through distress sales, etc., are examples of economic exploitation. As society moves towards revolution, exploiters of all types get exposed. They are no longer able to disguise their exploitation. The existence of exploitation in society can be ascertained through the prevalence of such factors as extreme poverty, social insecurity, injustices against the common people, the inability to purchase the minimum requirements of life, huge economic and social differences between various classes, the NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 283 irrational distribution of collective wealth, etc. The present social, economic and political conditions in India reflect all these ills. India is on the verge of revolution. Revolutionary organization: Revolution and war are almost the same. Revolution is a type of war. The difference between the two is that in a war force is applied on behalf of a person or state, but in a revolution force is applied by a group of people to establish a society free from exploitation. A revolutionary organization is essential for a revolutionary war. An important aspect of revolutionary planning is the creation of a revolutionary organization by the disgruntled sections of society. This organization will then create a congenial environment for revolution. A heterogeneous organization is required to carry out revolution. The organization carries the same type of responsibility as a government. It must operate from the highest level of the state down to village level. Local activists or coordinators will work at every level of the structure. All the activities of the revolution will be directed by the highest body. If a revolution is started without building a proper structure, or if loopholes are left in the formation of the structure, the results will be disastrous. In the struggle for Indian independence, for example, the revolutionary leaders failed to build a structure that extended down to village level, and the British seized upon this organizational weakness. Such loopholes caused unpardonable losses. This occurred in recent Indian history. Positive philosophy: The revolutionary organization must be guided by a positive philosophy. A progressive, comprehensive ideology is an invincible weapon of the revolutionary organization. It counteracts negative ideas in society and generates a powerful, positive psychic flow in the collective psychology. As a result people become revolutionary-minded. Vested interests determinedly try to 284 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 resist this positive change, which leads to a polarization in the collective psychology. It is the duty of the revolutionary leaders to create polarization through the propagation of a positive philosophy.2 The philosophy of the revolutionary organization should be free from all kinds of narrow thinking and dogma. If there are any defects in the philosophy or if it is not comprehensive, there is a danger that the leadership of society will pass out of the hands of the revolutionaries. This will be extremely harmful for the progress of society. The philosophy must be based on practice, not on theory. If there are any defects in the practical implementation of the philosophy, they can be rectified, but if there are fundamental defects in the philosophy itself, the philosophy will never be able to be implemented, nor will it be possible to rectify it. The theories of Marx and Gandhi are examples of defective philosophies. The fundamental principles of Marxism are unpsychological, irrational and inhuman. Marxists say that revolution is the only solution to capitalist exploitation. This is a positive idea. But the concepts of dialectical materialism, the materialist conception of history, the withering away of the state, proletariat dictatorship, classless society, etc., are defective ideas which can never be implemented. That is why in the post-revolutionary period every communist country has suffered from turmoil and oppression. There is not a single country in the world which has been established according to Marxist ideals.3 Gandhism is also defective. Instead of guaranteeing liberation from exploitation, it favours the interests of the exploiters; hence it is a negative philosophy. Liberation from exploitation is impossible when the exploiters themselves take

2 See also “Polarization Strategy” in Volume 3. –Eds. 3 See also “Defects of Communism” in Volume 4. –Eds.

NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 285 shelter behind the philosophy. The co-existence of the exploiters and the exploited can never lead to a society free from exploitation. No revolutionary organization can accept Gandhism as an ideal philosophy.4 Any organization that does will no longer be considered a revolutionary organization and it will break apart within a short time. This is a historical inevitability. A revolutionary organization must therefore adopt a positive philosophy which is without defects. Revolutionary cadres: Before the revolutionary organization gives the clarion call for revolution, there must be intensive preparation. In spite of the presence of all the conditions for revolution, it may not take place unless the exploited masses are psychologically prepared for it. If the people do not support the revolution, the clarion call will not be heeded. Ideologically educated revolutionary workers will have to channelize the psychology of the common masses towards revolution and inspire them to undertake a revolutionary struggle. Such workers will have to adopt a rational approach inspired by a positive philosophy, have a well-developed socio- economico-political consciousness, and be dedicated to uplifting the standard of the common people. It is the duty of these workers to inspire the frustrated masses to take to the path of revolution. Through their dedication and dynamism, they will be able to influence the collective psychology in their favour. The first and foremost duty of the revolutionary organization is to create dedicated workers. Infallible leadership: The success of the revolution depends on the leadership. The loss of life and property will be less if the leadership is free from defects. Ideal leadership is a blessing for society as well as the revolution. It will not only

4 See also “Social Defects in Gandhism” in Volume 1. –Eds.

286 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 lead to a successful revolution, but will also fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people in the post-revolutionary phase of society. In many countries the people were not able to create a well- knit and prosperous society in the post-revolutionary phase due to defects in the leadership. Concepts such as Plato's philosopher king, Confucius’ sage, Nietzsche’s superman, Marx’s proletariat dictatorship, etc., were propounded in an effort to develop ideal leadership, but all these concepts have failed. There is a vast difference between a theory of leadership and the actual qualities of a human leader. Due to intelligence, acumen, social awareness, oratory skill and various other qualities, a few leaders were initially successful in instigating revolutions, but later they became objects of slander because they were unable to guide society along the path of real progress. They were unable to solve the pressing problems confronting the people or eradicate exploitation. Sadvipra leadership is the ideal form of leadership. Such leaders will be physically fit, mentally developed and spiritually elevated. With their help and guidance revolution will be materialized. Revolutionary strategy: The forces opposed to revolution possess immense military power. In spite of this, the revolutionaries will achieve victory. This victory is due not only to a well-knit organization, progressive ideology and exemplary leadership, but is also due to the revolutionary strategy. Leadership is not imposed from above; rather it establishes itself through dedication, sincerity, ideological zeal, fighting spirit and all-round capacity. Leaders gradually acquire such capabilities, step by step. A feeling of mutual trust and unity will have to be established among the exploited members of society. This is essential because at the time of revolution there will be an all- NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 287 out fight against antisocial activities and corruption. The revolutionaries will have to fight against three forces: external exploiters, internal exploiters and other inner evil forces.5 All these three forces are powerful. Yet the moral, psychic and spiritual strength of the revolutionaries will lead to their victory, because physical weapons are not the only source of power. Moral and spiritual power is infinitely stronger than physical force. Although the primary duty of the revolutionaries is to drive out the exploiters, they also have to ensure that these exploiters do not get new opportunities to capture power or undermine society in the future. The greatest achievement of a revolution is to eradicate exploitation and bring about a progressive change in the collective psychology with the minimum loss of life and property.

The Role of Sentiments

Revolution always takes place around a sentiment. Without a strong, binding sentiment, a revolution cannot take place. Sentiment is always stronger than logic. Communism espouses sentiments such as “Workers of the world unite!” Initially people were attracted to such sentiments, but after some time they discovered that they were hollow, consequently intellectuals became dissatisfied with them. Communism is now unable to fight against the local sentiments that are emerging in various parts of the world because these sentiments are stronger than communist sentiments.

5 The inner evil forces refer to the aïíapáshas (eight fetters: hatred, doubt, fear, shyness, dissemblance, vanity of lineage, cultural superiority complex and egoism) and ïaìaripus (six enemies: physical desire, anger, avarice, vanity, blind attachment or infatuation, and jealousy), which are created by the static state of mind and are collectively known as Avidyámáyá (extroversial force). (The aïíapáshas are extro- internal and the ïaìaripus are intro-external.) –Eds.

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Prout is based on universal sentiments which are applicable to the whole Cosmological order, and it is systematically moving towards the implementation of these sentiments. Which ideology will make people conscious of their local sentiments while at the same time keeping universalism in mind? Only Prout has the capacity to do this. The communists have no such idea. Only Prout can tackle all local sentiments and lead everyone in the world towards universalism by gradual stages. Revolutionaries must know how to arouse the sentiments of the people and channelize society’s sentimental legacy towards universalism. During the preparation period for revolution, unstinting effort must go into arousing the people’s sentimental legacy, because sentiments inspire people to support the cause of revolution and infuse the revolutionary workers with tremendous power and conviction. According to Prout, there are two types of sentiments: positive sentiments and negative sentiments. Positive sentiments are synthetic in nature. They unite society and elevate humanity, enhance collective interests and encourage progressive development. Negative sentiments are narrow in outlook and divide society. Some important positive sentiments are the anti-exploitation sentiment, the revolutionary sentiment, the moral sentiment, the cultural sentiment, the universal sentiment and the spiritual sentiment. Some negative sentiments include communalism, patriotism, nationalism, provincialism, the linguistic sentiment and racism. Negative sentiments should never be used to divide people into castes and communities or to create artificial fissiparous tendencies in society. Rather they should always be used to create unity among people. Hitler used racism in an effort to unite the German people and he succeeded in the short-term, but because he used negative sentiments only and had no NUCLEAR REVOLUTION 289 positive sentiments, his approach resulted in a world war and the near destruction of Germany.6 The path of negativity is extremely dangerous and harmful for society. Positive sentiments are the real weapons with which to build society. This must never be forgotten under any circumstances.

1969, Ranchi

6 I.e., the Second World War: 1939-1945. –Eds.

HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1

Prakrti [the Supreme Operative Principle], the creator of multiplicities, is endlessly engaged in creating diversity. The beauty, the sweetness, the wonderful diversity of Her creation is visible everywhere, in every aspect of creation. In the process of saiôcara [extroversial movement] and pratisaiôcara [introversial movement] the most advanced life forms to evolve were human beings, and the human race exhibits tremendous diversity of expression. In some countries the people are tall with dark skin, black eyes, black hair, thick lips and flat noses, while the people of other countries are of medium build and have a fair complexion, blue eyes and aquiline noses. The physiognomy of people living in different parts of the world shows remarkable differences, especially with regard to hair, eyes, skin, nose and lips. In fact the differences are so vast that people are sometimes wrongly led to conclude that white people are perhaps superior to black people, and that black people are only a little higher on the scale of evolution than our animal ancestors. As people are unable to understand the reasons for this diversity, they have wrongly propagated the doctrine of racial supremacy, which has led to hatred of their fellow human beings, heartless cruelty and bloody warfare, the darkest and most lamentable chapters in human history. Even today in Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal, and in the USA, South Africa and Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe], the curse of this ignorance is all too apparent.1

1 In the 1950s and 1960s, systemic racism existed in all these countries. –Eds.

HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1 291

But is racial supremacy a scientific concept? Is it humanly justifiable? What does ethnology say? What are the origins of the human race? Did the ancestors of human beings with different forms belong to the same stock or were they different?

Ethnology

According to ethnology, the human race has common forebears and from them originated the Aryans, Austrics, Mongolians and Negroes of today. Ethnology has termed the earliest forebears of the human race Australopithecus.2 On an auspicious day in the remote past about 1,000,000 years ago, the first human beings saw the light of day on this verdant earth. Australopithecus split into two branches, with chimpanzees and orang-utans in one group and human beings in the other. The first human beings were born in the geographical area between the Java Islands and Palestine. Australopithecus gradually developed into human form, but this great transformation did not take place in one night or even in one century, but by slow degrees. To be specific, ethnologists have concluded that there must have been an intermediate stage, which they have named the Homo erectus, who were neither Australopithecus nor exactly human beings in form and nature. The fossils of these creatures have been found in different parts of Java, China, and East and North Africa. The species of Homo erectus emerged in the ancient past, during the Pleistocene Epoch.3

2 The various species of Australopithecus lived about 4.4 to 1.4 million years ago. –Eds. 3 The Pleistocene Epoch lasted from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago. The earliest fossils discovered of Homo erectus date to about 2 million years ago. –Eds.

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Everything on this earth is subject to the laws of change and progress. Eventually in subsequent ages tremendous changes in the environment and natural conditions of the earth came about, which led to the extinction of thousands of species. The immutable law of nature decreed that these species should disappear from this earth forever, without a trace. Before their extinction, however, Homo erectus did leave behind their descendants, Homo sapiens, who were the direct ancestors of the human race. The different groups of Homo erectus spread out across the face of the earth. Some perished due to the extreme hostility of natural conditions, while others were blessed with a congenial environment and evolved into a higher species. Those early forebears of the human race were unable to survive because they could not adapt to the tremendous changes that took place in the natural environment. The first Homo sapiens did not remain confined to one place. In search of greater ease, comfort and security, they spread out from Eurasia to the Arctic Ocean, from the Bering Strait to Melanesia, and from there again they set out in other directions, to find new homes in unexplored regions. Thus Homo sapiens was originally one species which spread out to different parts of the world. At first differences in the colour and physical appearance of these scattered groups of Homo sapiens were not very pronounced. But with the passage of time, as successive generations lived long periods in diverse geophysical conditions, differences in physical structure gradually increased. The diversity we see today among human beings from different parts of the world is therefore the product of natural conditions. Geographically this planet of ours has several distinct features: the snow-covered poles; the hot, sandy and monotonous deserts; the raging seas and oceans extending to HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1 293 distant horizons; and the stillness and silence of towering, indomitable mountains. In some places rivers cut through vast plains; in other places powerful waves break upon the shores of great lakes with a resounding roar. Since their advent onto this earth, human beings have had to cope with a wide variety of natural environments. They have had to fight for their very existence against adverse physical conditions, and that process has brought about marked changes in their external physical structures. The greater the heat of the sun, the more ultraviolet rays in the sunlight. Geography tells us why there are differences in the degree of heat in the sun’s rays. Where the sun’s rays fall on the earth obliquely there is less heat, and where the sun’s rays fall straight on to the earth the heat is greater. White- skinned people find it very difficult to live in hot countries because their skin does not contain enough of the chemical substance known as melanin and is therefore unable to withstand a lot of heat. Skin that contains a large amount of melanin turns jet-black, and conversely a smaller amount of melanin makes one’s skin white. If for some reason white people are forced to live for a long time in a hot climate, their skin turns brown. In 1939 to 1940, when British soldiers came to India due to the war,4 as a result of the intense heat their skin turned brown. Because these soldiers had to adjust to the hot climate of India, to help them acclimatize their skin naturally underwent changes. In hot countries the irises of people’s eyes are generally black, because a large amount of melanin is required to protect the eyeball from the scorching rays of the sun. The nostrils of people in hot countries are also comparatively wide and the front of the nose is extended. Why? Because the external heat heats up the internal air, resulting in an increase

4 The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. –Eds.

294 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 in body temperature. The internal heat then tries to force its way out rapidly. As a result of the rapid exhalation of heavy, hot air, the front part of the nose is widened. People who live in cold countries develop fatty tissues in their bodies. These tissues help to maintain body temperature. Although the people’s noses are pointed, their nostrils are comparatively small, because if a large amount of cold air enters the body it will adversely affect the lungs and vocal cord. Consequently nature has perfectly adapted the constitution of the inhabitants of cold countries to the predominant climatic conditions, by not allowing a greater than necessary amount of air to enter the body at the time of breathing. Variations in natural conditions and climate have also been responsible for other changes in the human physical structure. Some people are jet-black, some pink, some yellow, and still others are brown. The single species of Homo sapiens divided into four distinct races (due to the different physical conditions under which they lived), but basically they all come from the same origins: from Australopithecus who evolved into Homo erectus who evolved into Homo sapiens. A single stock divided into a variety of what we now call races: white, black, brown and yellow. These races are as different from one another as the rivers Ganges, Meghna, Padma and Bhagirathi, which have sprung from the same source in the Himalayas at Gangotri.

The Four Races

There are four main races in the world today: the Aryans, the Mongolians, the Negroes and the Austrics. The Aryans first migrated to West Asia and then spread out across a vast area from the Black Sea to the Danube Valley and then into Central and West Europe. They settled in Iran, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, Spain and along the HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1 295

Mediterranean coast. They crossed from western France to the British Isles and later spread to Afghanistan, the Indus Valley and the Red River Valley, and to Korea and Japan. The main homeland of the Mongolians was China. Later they spread from the Arctic Ocean to the Bering Strait and the White Sea. High mountains in Asia blocked their passage to the west, so they moved to the east and south reaching Burma [now Myanmar], Thailand, Indo-China, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Philippines and Japan, where they integrated with the original inhabitants of those places. The Negroes lived near the equator in Africa and in the areas lying near the southern coastline of the Indian Ocean. Their descendants are found in South India, the Andaman Islands, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines.5 Human society is composed of different branches of these races. There is no reason whatsoever to say that one race is superior to another. External constitutional differences cannot alter the basic human characteristics that they all share: affection, love, thirst, hunger, bliss. These basic characteristics manifest in human beings of all colours, all over the world, in all ages. A simple, rustic, illiterate, half-naked, tribal mother from an unknown hamlet in the Chotanagpur Hills feels the same deep maternal affection for her young children as a well- educated mother from a New York suburb. The subterranean flow of love and affection exists in all hearts alike. Everyone cries out in pain; everyone feels happy on joyful occasions. Lifestyles may vary according to differences in geographical,

5 Regarding the Austrics, the author says: “At one time there was one vast expanse of land, which stretched from old Gondwanaland to Australia. The original inhabitants of this vast region were the ancient Austrics. They are black but not jet- black. They are shorter in stature than the Negroes and their hair is not so curly. India’s Kols, Bhiils, Muòìas, Har’s (Santhals) and Biirhoóas, and the Aborigines […] of Australia […] all belong to the Austric branch…” See “Psycho-Acoustic and Inferential Acoustic Notes (Discourse 9)”, given on 14 August 1983, in Varòa Vijiôána. –Eds. 296 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 cultural and social conditions – some groups may exhibit a few special psychic characteristics – but basically people’s mental existence is expressed through the same flow of ideas and consciousness. Infused with the same Cosmic momentum and motivated by the same Cosmic inspiration, they have all set out for a tryst with the same destiny. From the unknown past until today, different branches of the human race have given birth to a variety of civilizations. The Alpines and the Mediterraneans – two branches of the white race – produced the Hellenic, Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations; the [Mediterraneans] and the Dravidians were responsible for the Indian civilization; the yellow race produced the Chinese and Japanese civilizations; and the Red Indians built up the American civilizations. Black people also have not lagged behind. It is true that compared with other races their contribution to human civilization is less impressive, not because of racial inferiority, but because the so-called civilized races (for selfish political reasons) have deprived them of ample opportunities to develop. Furthermore, the hostility of their natural environment has prevented them from introverting their psychic potentialities. Even today the Sahara burns like fire in the heart of the African continent, which is surrounded on all sides by sea; even today the deep darkness of the dense forests create imposing barriers on their path. Such natural adversity prevented the Africans from introverting their minds, and so in the past they were not able to build great civilizations. Within them too are hidden great human riches. The most pressing need therefore is to create a suitable environment to develop that potential.

Inseparable Racial Mixing

The different races of the world have been inseparably mixed together. In India all the four main races – Aryans, Mongolians, HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1 297

Austrics and Negroes – have been inseparably mixed together as well. The Filipinos of today are a mixture of the Negro, Mongolian and Aryan races, though the Mongolian elements are predominant. Ethnological research has shown that the present Filipino race evolved from a heterogeneous mixture of people from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Africa and Arabia. Similarly, the Japanese race evolved from intermixing among the Aynus, a sub-branch of white people originating from the banks of the Amur River, a sub-branch of the yellow race from Korea, and a hybrid community of brown-black people who emigrated from Malaysia and Indonesia. In China, people from South Russia, Central Asia and Mongolia mingled together. Today’s Greater China is an example of this mixing. Only recently Hitler fed the German nation with the spurious notion of Aryan supremacy and incited the vain and conceited Nazis to fight a horrible war.6 He raised his arrogant slogan: “The Aryans are not to be ruled but to rule.” But is this blinkered, chauvinistic concept of Aryan supremacy supported by ethnology? No. Ethnology holds that the Germans of today are not a homogeneous race. They are a mixed race. So a careful analysis reveals that none of the existing human races are free from racial mixing. It is meaningless therefore for any race to talk of the “purity of its blood”, for no race is racially pure. There cannot be any “purity of blood”. Rather blood is always pure. In India the greatest amount of racial mixing occurred in Bengal. The Bengalee race evolved from a mixture of the Aryans, Mongolians, Austrics and Negroes. The people of Bihar and Orissa [now Odisha] and the Kayasthas belong to the Bengalee race. In southern India Negro blood mingled with Austric blood resulting in the emergence of a new race, known as the Dravidians.

6 I.e., the Second World War. –Eds.

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Thus, in the dim, unknown past, different groups came in contact with each other. There was an inevitable intermingling of blood, which eventually, over long periods of time, led to the emergence of many new races.

Unity in Diversity

The innate migrating tendency in human beings has propelled them to journey from one part of the world to another, from one hemisphere to the other. For more than one reason they have left behind specific geographical regions, set out for other lands and mixed with one another. The main reasons why humans associated with people of other races are more or less as follows: 1. Due to the instinct of self-preservation, people joined together to fight against hostile natural forces. 2. Wars – victories, defeats and the expansion of their kingdoms. 3. The inner attraction of a common religion. 4. Geographical proximity. 5. Trade dealings and other forms of interaction. 6. Linguistic and cultural exchanges. These factors brought various racial groups in close contact with one another. They then freely mixed with each other, propelled by their innate characteristics. Close contact among various racial groups gave rise to the large number of races we see today. Eventually this close association of people from different backgrounds resulted in marital bonds. Many small races fused to become a new race through interracial marriages. In South America, for example, a new race emerged as a result of the constant intermingling of Negro, European and Indian blood. And in Colombia and Mexico, a new Anglo-Indian community came into being as a result of interracial marriages between the HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 1 299

Europeans and the Indians.7 So it is not wise to give much importance to differences in noses, eyes, hair, height, etc. Human society is continually striving to arrive at a synthesis through a process of analysis, to create some sort of unity in diversity. While obstacles may be created by small groups, narrow communal interests, geographical distances, and inflexible customs and usages, none of these obstacles can stop the steady and silent movement towards the Supreme goal. That is why the doctrines that led to the policy of apartheid, the vanity of racial superiority, and fervent nationalism and regionalism could not prevent social progress. Today the outdated ideals of nationalism are crumbling to pieces. Humanity today has woken up and is anxiously awaiting the advent of one universal society under the vast blue sky. Noble and righteous people of all countries feel the bonds of fraternal ties and are eager to proclaim in one voice, with one mind, in the same tune, that human society is one and indivisible. It is this voice of total unity and magnanimity that gives meaning to the message of universal humanism.

Jagat juóiyáek játi áche Se játir nám mánuïa játi Ek prthiviir stanye pálita Eki ravishashii moder sáthii.

7 In Latin America, people of combined European and Amerindian descent are generally known as Mestizos while people of combined European and Negro descent are generally known as Mulattoes. The term “Anglo-Indian” generally refers to people of mixed British and Indian parentage. Here “the Europeans” includes the Spanish and the Portuguese, and “the Indians” also includes those who migrated from South India to Central America and became known as the Mayans. The author also says: “The Mayan civilization is a transplanted Indian civilization. It migrated to Central America during the rule of the Pallavas in South India. Thus the original [i.e., classical] Mayan civilization and the Indian civilization existed side by side.” See “The Evolution of Human Civilization” in Volume 3. So here the author appears to be using the term “Anglo-Indian” to refer to the people in Central and South America of mixed European (mostly Spanish), South Indian and Amerindian descent. –Eds. 300 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

[There is only one race in the world, And that is the human race. Nourished with the milk of the same Mother Earth, Dwelling within the same compass of the sun and the moon.8]

Our companions, the sun and the moon.

A Few Problems Solved Part 2

8 For Satyendranath Dutta’s complete poem, see “The Practice of Art and Literature” in Volume 1. –Eds.

HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2

The point of origin of human beings and the culminating point of their movement is the same. It is a law of nature that an entity will merge into the same source from which it originates. The fundamental essence of all human beings is the Macrocosmic Consciousness. All are the progeny of Amrtasya Puttóah [the Supreme Immortal Entity], thus there is no difference between people. Fundamentally all human beings are equal. In the external world, however, people are involved in numerous conflicts and altercations. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said:

Hiîsáy unmatta prthvii pitya niíhura dvandva; Ghora kuíiita pantha táhára lobha ja ila bandha.

[Mad with violence is the world. Cruel are the battles that ravage each day. Crooked indeed are the ways of the world, bound by the noose of greed.]

Due to petty, selfish interests, how many struggles and conflicts, clashes between races and nations, pitch battles between households, and how many wars have plagued the world? How much blood has flowed into the world’s rivers? Can we truly say that there is no difference between people? Where is the unity that creates a common bond among human beings? To properly answer such a question, a deep analysis of human psychology is required, because real unity lies in the realm of the mind. 302 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Internal Unity

The human mind is extroversial by nature. Due to its inherent saîskaras [reactive momenta], it becomes obsessed with and influenced by the external environment. A person influenced by the saîskaras imposed on him or her by the society in which he or she lives may start to hate another person, but this hostility, this enmity, is only external. Internally all human beings feel a deep attraction for one another. This attraction is the natural wont of living beings. Had there been no balancing force among the objects created by the Macrocosmic Mind, the entire Cosmological structure would have shattered into pieces. The Cosmological balance is maintained due to this attraction among the various objects and entities. From atoms and molecules to human beings with a developed consciousness, every entity feels attraction for every other entity. The Supreme [Consciousness] binds all the finite entities to Himself through His Cosmic love. All entities drift along in the vast divine flow, each a minute manifestation of the Supreme. Cosmic love is their birthright. That is why one should remember that attraction is the law of nature. Attraction is not negative repulsion, rather repulsion is negative attraction. What we perceive to be differences among human beings in the external world are in reality expressions of negative attraction. For differences to occur, people must have some sort of relationship with each other. There cannot be any friction without close proximity. A serious difference of opinion today may turn into friendship tomorrow. Abád kare vivákare suvád kare ta ra. [The same people who quarrel today may rejoice as friends tomorrow.] In the past people who were engaged in bloody battles over religious issues resumed friendly relations after the battles were over. Numerous clashes have also centred around HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 303 language issues, but after some time people forgot their differences and a synthesis occurred leading to the emergence of a new mixed language. Therefore instead of reacting to apparent differences, one should seek internal unity. In the interest of collective welfare, the differences that split society must be resolved. To do this one must look for the common link, the points of affinity, in multifarious lifestyles and the diverse expressions of life.

Points of Affinity

The points of affinity have to be encouraged by all possible means and the differences must be discouraged. If differences of customs, manners, food, dress, language, etc., are given undue importance, clashes and conflicts will increase. And forcing those with differences to unite involves risk. That is why we will have to adopt a positive approach rather than a negative one. Thus our approach should be: points of unity should be encouraged and points of difference discouraged. If this principle is followed strictly, there will be an increase in human unity and a corresponding decrease in the degree of disunity. I have already said that no difference lasts long. If the elements of disunity are therefore discouraged, through association and interaction the members of society will gradually develop a universally acceptable bond. One should always remember that in the interest of social welfare and unity, fissiparous tendencies should never be encouraged. Whenever scope for differences arise, it is wise to ignore it. If at all it is necessary to say something, one should say that this is not the proper time to bother about petty differences. Take the case of the national language [of India]. There is a group of people who are extremely vocal about the national language. But is it the proper time to fight over the language 304 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 issue? Thousands of people in India eke out a precarious existence below the poverty line, suffering from hunger, famine, disease and financial hardship. This is the time to fight against socio-economic exploitation. Those who create new problems by overemphasizing unimportant issues instead of solving urgent social needs are the enemies of the human race. In the name of national unity they are dividing the country, turning it into a battleground of conflicting interests, causing severe human damage. In order to create unity and prosperity in the country, common points of affinity must be found in the following three spheres: the socio-economic sphere, the psycho-sentimental sphere and the spirituo-sentimental sphere. Socio-economic sphere: In order to unify society, we must first remove social and economic disparities. In a society where one person wallows in luxury while another gradually starves to death, bonds of friendship are inconceivable. Similarly, if there is hatred in the social sphere, such as the contempt an upper-caste person may have for a low-caste person, it is hard to imagine a fraternal atmosphere. Those who have wealth may try to buy others to serve their purposes, but one cannot have unity with a slave. Taka diye sudhu katha kenájai, hrdaye jai na kena. [The mind can be bought with money, but not the heart.] To experience the warmth of another’s heart, one will have to give up false sentiments created by artificial differences. For that we must first wage a ceaseless fight against poverty. Poverty is the common enemy of all Indians. When a severe blow is dealt against this common enemy, everyone involved, due to self-preservation, will be motivated by a common purpose and become united. The campaign against poverty will have to be carried out step by step. The first step is to awaken an anti-exploitation sentiment. Everyone must be convinced that the entire wealth HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 305 of the world is the common patrimony of all. Everyone has the birthright to utilize that wealth, and no interference with that birthright will be allowed.

Tomar deoa ei vipul prthvi, sakale karibo bhog; Ei prthviir nárii sáthe ache, srjan diner yoga.

[We will enjoy this vast world You have given. We are connected to this earth from the very moment of our birth.]

Every individual should be provided with sufficient purchasing capacity to guarantee him or her the minimum necessities of life. It is not enough, however, just to provide the minimum necessities of life; simultaneously the country’s wealth should also be increased. If sufficient wealth is not generated to meet the growing demands of the people, seeds of discontent will arise in their minds. So the increase in population should be accompanied by generating increasing national wealth. Unfortunately the so-called leaders of modern India do not pay attention to this issue. Through various development programmes, the lack of national wealth can be eliminated to a large extent. Take the case of the Indian province of Orissa [now Odisha]. Agriculture, particularly summer crops, is still totally dependent on monsoons. Had artificial irrigation been introduced, Odisha could have achieved a three-fold increase in yields. Odisha today provides food to only 15 million people. If agriculture had been developed properly, today Odisha could be supplying food to 40 million people. Odisha is also very rich in mineral resources, such as coal, chromite, bauxite, manganese, etc. The present Indian leaders export those mineral resources to overseas countries. If those raw materials were utilized for indigenous industrial production instead, four large steel plants could be easily put into 306 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 operation. This would raise the per capita income substantially. But rather than attend to such matters, the leaders draft five- year plans in a most whimsical manner. Ultimately these plans neither remove economic disparity nor increase the collective wealth. In order to achieve these two objectives, the present economic system needs to be thoroughly overhauled. To facilitate economic development, first of all the country should be divided into economic zones. If political and linguistic considerations are the basis for demarcating state boundaries, efficient economic plans will never be made and proper importance will not be given to economic problems. Economic zones are therefore indispensible in order to expedite economic progress. Nowadays within a single political province there are regions with different economic problems. In the Chotanagpur Hills of Bihar, for example, there is an acute irrigation problem, whereas in the plains of North Bihar there is a drainage problem. Another example is the regions of Rayalaseema, Srikakulam and Telangana, which have all been incorporated into the same political province of Andhra, although their economic problems are different. An analysis of economic problems will show that in the interests of the people different economic zones should be created. 1 However, if different political provinces are immediately converted into a single economic zone for administrative purposes, it is possible complications may arise. So two political provinces can be turned into one economic zone, or more than one economic zone can exist within one political province.

The formation of linguistic states is meaningless – national unity can never be achieved through the creation of political states based on language.2 It is sheer foolishness to think that if the exploiters – the capitalists and industrial proprietors – and the labourers speak one language, they will remain united. Psycho-sentimental sphere: Human beings are predominantly sentimental by nature. They establish relationships with many objects in this world through their day- to-day activities. If people’s sentiment for a particular object is adjusted with the collective sentiment, that sentiment can be utilized to establish social unity. Sometimes, however, the sentiment that people develop for various objects runs counter to the collective sentiment and therefore creates great disunity. Hence we should encourage sentiments that are conducive to social unity and discourage sentiments that create a rift in society. Take the case of the Sanskrit language. All Indians share a love for Sanskrit because most Indian languages originated from it. There was a time when from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin [Kanyakumari] people expressed their feelings and conducted official activities in Sanskrit. The influence of Sanskrit on all the modern Indian languages is easily discernible: 92% of Bengali, 90% of Oriya, 85% of Maethili, 75% of Malayalam and 3% of Tamil [vocabulary] come directly from Sanskrit. It is therefore clear that no one can oppose the Sanskrit language. If national solidarity had been the main objective, the leaders could have tried to establish national unity by advocating Sanskrit as the national language of India. Besides language, people have a natural sentiment for their glorious national heritage. Every one loves and admires the past accomplishments and glorious achievements of their

2 The States Reorganization Act, 1956, reorganized the states of India along linguistic lines. –Eds. 308 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 nation. This love for one’s glorious heritage is clearly a psychic sentiment. This psychic sentiment can be utilized to consolidate national unity. Take the Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilizations, for example. The glorious heritage of a country should not remain confined to school curricula or research scholars. It should be presented to the public. This will create a sense of confidence and glory in people’s minds, and thus strengthen the bonds of fraternity. Likewise, the glorious history of a country strengthens the sense of unity among the population. The Sanskrit term itihása and the English word “history” are not synonymous. History is itikathá, a chronological record of past events. Itihása is a description of past events with the aim of presenting moral teachings to the people. It is not merely a chronological record, but a work of immense educative value. The Mahábhárata, for example, is itihása, as it has been a source of inspiration for people since the time it was written. Even today village people sit around a kerosene lamp in the evening and read and discuss the Mahábhárata, each of them cherishing a feeling of love for the book. The propagation of the Mahábhárata will have a beneficial influence on people’s minds. Many of its passages may be quoted to teach people about their glorious past and to offer solutions to their worldly problems. Biographies of great saints, sages and personalities of the past should also be made accessible to the common people to foster unity. There is a subterranean flow of love and devotion in people’s minds for those sages and saints, as they rose above narrow sentiments to propagate the ideals of unity and fraternity. Their stories create a stir in people’s minds. So the popularization of these personalities is essential to inspire unity among the masses. HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 309

The leaders of today do not try to give a practical shape to any of the aforementioned points. They merely deliver high- sounding lectures. Great personalities of the past provide them with the opportunity to organize bicentennial or anniversary celebrations. They think that by merely uttering a few well- rehearsed sentences, they are paying a wonderful tribute to those great personalities. They do not realize that such personalities can still make a great contribution to furthering the country’s welfare. As a consequence high ideals are disappearing from social life and disunity is increasing among the people. Spirituo-sentimental sphere: As well as sentiments in the above spheres, the spiritual sentiment is also indispensable for establishing lasting social unity. The unity that develops within a collective psychology in the social, psychic and economic spheres is the first step towards greater unity. It can lead to the formation of a nation or to greater internal unity in a country. But once the problem that inspired the sentiment is solved, the connecting link is broken. That is why a spiritual outlook is a prerequisite for permanent unity. Every human being has a spiritual thirst. Knowingly or unknowingly they are searching for the Supreme Entity. As they do not know how to find the right path, however, they remain in a state of confusion. One of life’s great tragedies is that so many people do not find what they are searching for. They spend their entire life searching in vain. If people are pointed in the right direction, the entire human race will follow them. As fellow travellers on the same journey, they will advance together towards the same Supreme goal in unison, with rhythmic movement. Spirituality is therefore indispensable for the unity of the human race. This Supreme treasure teaches people that Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] is their Supreme Father, Paramá Prakrti 310 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

[Supreme Operative Principle] is their Supreme Mother, and the entire universe is their homeland. Let them joyfully sing:

Sab tháin mor ghar áche ámi sei ghar mari khujiyá Deshe deshe mor desh áche ámi se desh laba bujiyá Parabásii ámi ye duyáre jái Tári pájhe mor áche jáno tháin Kothádiyásetháprabeshite pái sandhán laba bujhiyá Ghare ghare áche paramátiiya táre ámi mari khujiyá.

[My house is everywhere. How desperately I search for that house of mine. Every country is my country. I shall surely discover that country of mine. I may be a foreigner, but to whichever house I go, I find my own abode. I will find the right door to enter the house. In every house live my dearest relations. I am desperately searching for them.]

So Cosmic sentiment alone can be the unifying force that shall strengthen humanity to smash the bondages and abolish all the narrow walls of fissiparous tendencies. Cosmic ideology is based on the absolute truth, which is not confined to time, space and person. When the limited mind accepts the Unlimited Entity as its object, the mind expands. It continues expanding till it reaches a full 360 degrees. The method that brings about psycho-spiritual progress is called “sadhana”. When through sadhana people are able to bring the entire universe within their minds, the result will be one universe, one universal society. As long as feelings of nationalism continue to exist, conflicts will be inevitable. Social welfare depends on the degree of psychic expansion of the human mind. As nationalism cannot embrace every human being, no nation can attain perfect well- HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 311 being. As long as the welfare of even a few individuals is neglected by the limited minds of the nationalists, they will never feel those people’s problems. For this reason one group of nationalists may attack another group of nationalists merely to assert their national identity. Neither nationalism nor any other ism, not even internationalism, attains the highest degree of psychic expansion. No one can say whether human civilization has been established on other planets in the universe. The thought of other planetary civilizations does not enter the minds of those who only think about the nations of this planet. It is not possible for internationalists to establish universalism. When inter-planetary conflict begins, internationalism will assume the same role as nationalism does today. The only way to establish universalism is to bring about mental expansion through sadhana. The inculcation of a spiritual outlook will weaken the boundaries between nations and lead to the establishment of a universal state, a global nation, bound together by a common thread of unity and spiritual aspiration. That nation will be known as the human nation.

Jagat juóiyáek játi áche Se játir nám mánuïa játi Ek prthiviir stanye pálita Eki ravi-shashii moder sáthii.

[There is only one race in the world, And that is the human race, Nourished with the milk of the same Mother Earth, Dwelling within the same compass of the sun and the moon.]3

3 For Satyendranath Dutta’s complete poem, see “The Practice of Art and Literature” in Volume 1. –Eds.

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Points of Difference

By making use of the previously-mentioned factors, it would be easy to unite the human race. It should be remembered, however, that social differences do exist and they must be taken into consideration. These differences usually disappear naturally due to intermixing. It is not possible to eradicate them by force. When people become close to each other with a genuine feeling of unity, when they share the common joys and sorrows of life, external differences gradually vanish as a matter of course. In society there are four main areas of external differences: food, dress, language and religion. Food: People in different parts of the world eat different types of food. There is a great deal of variation in the dietary habits of the East and the West, caused by different environments and the production of different types of food. People become accustomed to eating the type of food that grows in their own country. In India, for example, generally there are four food zones, based on four types of food production and associated dietary habits. In one zone mustard oil is used, in another coconut oil, in another rapeseed oil, and in the fourth ghee. The people of the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in northwest India are accustomed to eating bread, whereas the people of eastern and southern India eat mainly rice. Thus people’s staple food is determined by variations in climatic conditions. The different dietary habits of people around the world should never be forcibly standardized. It would be unreasonable to declare a certain food the national food and then force everyone to eat it. Besides, everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes. In those countries where the commune system prevails, in the name of collectivism everyone is forced to eat the same type of food. People do not dare to speak out HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 313 against such imposition due to fear, but internally they are not happy. Food is the most important of the primary necessities of human life. If people are not satisfied with their food, there will be a simmering discontent in their minds that will seek an opportunity to rebel. Dress: Like food, throughout the world there is great diversity in people’s dress habits. This is also the result of environmental differences. In Arab countries, for example, many people live in the desert. Under the scorching heat of the midday sun, harsh winds blow burning sand into the air. To protect themselves from such sandstorms, people wear clothes that cover their entire bodies from head to foot, including their face and ears, and live underground to protect themselves from the hostile environment. If the people of North Bihar in India were to wear such clothes, they would feel greatly inconvenienced, because in that region due to the high rainfall there is a large number of rivers and streams. In such an environment it would be extremely impractical to wear clothes that cover the entire body. Biharis therefore wear a dhoti [man’s lower-body garment] that can be lifted up easily while crossing a stream. People living in cold countries use woollen clothes, which the inhabitants of hot countries would never use. Differences of dress, like food, cannot be removed by force. Language: There is an almost endless number of languages in the world. Not only do people of different countries speak different languages, but so do people within the same country. These linguistic differences are due to racio-cultural influences. Different cultures have been responsible for the creation of different languages. Human beings use various types of sounds to create words. Sound is produced by exhaled air, which flows over the vocal 314 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 cord and emerges through the mouth and nose. The sound is modified by changing the shape of the mouth, lips and nose. According to variations in the structure of the physical body, there are different races on the earth, and due to these differences there are differences in language as well. These variations are generally based on six factors: blood, nose, eyes, skin, [hair] and height. These characteristics also vary in the world’s main races: Aryan, Austric, Mongolian and Negro. Aryans have a reddish-white complexion, reddish [or golden] hair, warm blood, catlike eyes, aquiline noses and tall bodies. Negroes have black skin, slightly colder blood, curly hair, blackish eyes, thick lips and tall bodies. There are also considerable differences in the physical structure of the Mongolians and Austrics. The Aryans have three branches: Nordic, Alpine and Mediterranean. Nordic Aryans have the physical characteristics mentioned above. Alpine Aryans have a [milky-white] complexion, [bluish-]black hair, blue eyes and slightly colder blood. Mediterranean Aryans have ordinary-white complexions, black hair, dark eyes, average-size noses, slightly colder blood and are of medium height. The people living in the south of France and the Arab and Balkan states belong to this category. There has been a great deal of intermixing among the different races, which are scattered throughout the world. The physiological characteristics of groups who have continuously lived in one particular climate, however, are more clearly discernible than those of groups who have migrated to different countries. These differences have also resulted in different linguistic expressions. The main races in India are the Mongolo-Tibetans [or Indo- Tibetans or Tibeto-Chinese], the Mediterranean Aryans and the Dravidians. The Mongolo-Tibetans include the Ladakhans, Kinnaris, Garhwalis, Nepalese, Sikkimese, Newars (including HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 315 the Misos and Garos) and Bhutanese groups. The Mediterranean Aryans include the Kashmiri Brahmans and other inhabitants of Kashmir whose complexion is reddish- white. The Dravidians include the people of Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Present-day North India, that is, the region lying to the north of the Vindhya Range extending as far as Tibet, was submerged under the sea in the prehistoric past. The region south of the Vindhya Range, the Arabian Sea, South Africa, Australia and the Malaysian archipelago used to form one vast region. This vast region was called Gondwanaland.4 Austrics used to live in the northern part of Gondwanaland and Negroes in the southwest. The area in between was inhabited by both the Austric and the Negro branches, and they created the Dravidian race of modern India. Not only different races but also different languages blended on the soil of India. The Indo-Aryan languages include Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Kathiawali, Brajabháïá, Bundel Khandu [Bundeli], Avadhi, Chhattisgarhi, Bhojpuri, Angika, Magahi, Maethili, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Garhwali, Kumayani and Gorkhali. The Austric languages are Muòìá, Ho, Santhal, Khaóhia and Momkhám. The Tibeto-Burmese languages include all the languages of Assam except Assamese, Manipuri and Naga. And the Tibeto- Chinese languages include Ladakhi, Kinnari, Kiráti, Lepcha, Yiáru, Garo, Khaïiya, Mizo and Newari. Languages are also influenced by culture. The culture of one community influences the culture of another. The rule is that the culture with the greatest vitality has the strongest influence.

4 The term “Gondwanaland” can be used to refer either to the ancient landmass that formed about 600 million years ago and began to break up about 180 million years ago or to the remaining parts of that landmass collectively as they exist today. In the following two sentences, the author is referring to a time after Homo sapiens evolved. See also the section Ethnology is “Human Society Is One and Indivisible –1.” –Eds. 316 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Sometimes the weaker culture is even absorbed by the more powerful one. When different cultural groups live side by side there is a lot of exchange. The members of the weaker cultural group accept the ideas and attitudes of the dominant group, including its language. In spite of the tremendous differences between the Aryans and the non-Aryans, the non-Aryans accepted the [Vedic] language of the Aryans, and the Aryans assimilated into their religion the introversial spiritual practices of the non-Aryans. Sanskrit has influenced all the languages of northeast India. Even the southern Indian languages were influenced to some degree. Of the southern languages, Malayalam has been most affected by Sanskrit. This is because many people migrated from the north through Madras [now Chennai] to Kerala. For this reason the root-verbs of Malayalam are of Tamil origin while its vocabulary is largely of Sanskrit origin. 75% of Malayalam [vocabulary] is based on Sanskrit. The influence of the Aryans was felt as much in the lower stratum of society as in the upper. In some places their influence was so strong that people were reluctant to speak their own language outside their family environment. The Saha community of the Austric group, for example, speak their own dialect [in their homes, but speak Bhojpuri outside. In the same way the Singmuòìá and the Sharan people and the Tipras of Tripura state speak Bengali and not their own ancestral tongue. The Garhwalis have long stopped speaking their own Tibeto- Chinese dialect] and have adopted Indo-Aryan languages. Thus we see that language differences are due to racial traits and cultural influences. These linguistic differences cannot be forcibly suppressed. A careful analysis of history will reveal, however, that many attempts have been made to suppress different languages. Every language is equally important. No language should ever be discarded on the grounds of being inferior. No one HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 317 should ever support the idea of suppressing one language in favour of another. In ancient and modern India and in some western countries, however, attempts have been made to suppress various languages. Such attempts have never proved beneficial. In ancient India, for example, Sanskrit scholars tried to suppress the Prákrta languages and Vedic Sanskrit scholars tried to suppress the Dravidian and Austric languages. When Lord Buddha started propagating his new philosophy in Páli, the language of the people, the scholars tried to pressurize him into using Sanskrit. But Buddha ignored their demands and continued to use Páli. In medieval India, Sanskrit exerted a dominant influence over other languages. The people’s language was derisively called bhákhá [unrefined language, vernacular]. The saint Kabir5 objected to this maltreatment and said that Sanskrit was as stagnant as well water while bhákhá was as dynamic as a flowing river. Nor did Sanskrit scholars give any importance to Bengali – it was considered nothing short of blasphemy to translate religious scriptures from Sanskrit into Bengali. The nawab Hussain Shah personally tried to develop the Bengali language. With his active support, Krittivas Ojah' translated the Rámáyaòa, Kashi Ramdas translated the Mahábhárata, and Malladhar Basu translated the Bhagavad [Giitá] from Sanskrit to Bengali. This caused a furore in intellectual circles. Some scholars tried to brand Hussain Shah a saboteur of the Hindu religion, arguing that to translate such holy scriptures into Bengali was to defile the Hindu religion. Malladhar Basu was denounced as a Muslim convert and ridiculed with the name Guna Raja Khan. And so incensed were the Sanskrit scholars by Krittivas Ojah'’s translation that he was declared an

5 Kabir lived in the 15th century. –Eds.

318 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 outcaste, for committing what they considered to be an act of sacrilege. All this took place only 450 years ago. Latin scholars in Europe tried their best to suppress other languages. The Arabic scholars of the Middle East wanted to suppress Persian. And in recent times the people of Wales [in Great Britain] and Quebec in Canada have protested against the imposition of the English language. They prefer to use their own languages as their medium of expression. In modern India too selfish political interests are suppressing important languages, such as Bhojpuri, Maethili, Magahi, Chhattisgarhi, Avadhi, Bundel Khandu and Marwari. Those who speak these languages should certainly not accept this silently. They will surely protest against this unjust attempt at domination. Recently there was an open revolt against the imposition of Hindi as the national language of India.6 It is better to bring people who speak different mother tongues closer together than to suppress their languages. This will inspire them to speak other languages. The arbitrary imposition of any language only invites trouble. Religion: There are numerous religions in the world founded by various people. But instead of enhancing the spirit of unity in society, these religions have actually increased disunity and conflict. How many wars have been fought in the name of religion? Far from being a unifying force, religion must be seen as a cause of disharmony. One thing should be remembered: dharma and religion – Imáò and majhab respectively in Arabic – are not synonymous. Throughout the ages dharma, or Imáò, has been propagating

6 After the Indian constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, the Indian government wanted to make Hindi the sole official language. The deadline of 26 January 1965 was set as the date to switch over to Hindi as the only official language throughout the country. Many non-Hindi-speaking states did not accept this policy, and revolts broke out around the country, particularly in Tamil Nadu. As a result the Official Languages Act was amended in 1967 to guarantee the indefinite use of both Hindi and English as official languages. –Eds. HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 319 teachings aimed at uniting humanity. Religions are many, but dharma is one, and that dharma is mánava dharma [human dharma] – a method to attain the Supreme. Based on practical wisdom and rationality, dharma is a logical method to realize the absolute truth. External paraphernalia are not required for the practice of dharma; the only prerequisite is a human mind. Dharma provides no opportunity to exploit people by entrapping them in the snare of blind faith, and no scope for self-aggrandisement or the pursuit of group interests. Its foundations are love, freedom and equality. As dharma is beyond time, space and person, there is no possibility of svajátiya [differences within a species], vijátiya [differences among species] or svajáta [differences between different parts of one body] occurring. Dharma is unchangeable. Eka eva suhrd dharma nidhane opyanuyáti yah. [Dharma is the only real friend; it follows one even after death.] Religion is the exact opposite. It is based on the following three factors: psycho-sentiment, physico-ritualistic observance and tradition. 1. Psycho-sentiment: Religion has its origin in people’s inborn fear complexes. Early human beings started to practise religion in order to appease different natural phenomena: the hills and mountains, the rivers and oceans, the forests, thunder and lightening, the morning and evening, and so on. Their religious practice was based on the instinct of self-preservation; the only purpose was to propitiate temperamental gods and goddesses. In the depths of their minds, some kind of imaginary faith took root. So various types of psycho- sentiments were created after people came in contact with diverse natural phenomena. The roots of most religions lie in the worship of a particular natural phenomenon. Some religions centred around the moon, some around the sun, and others around a stone image. Later 320 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 people improvised a philosophy to support the worship of particular physical phenomena. They based their philosophy on the argument that it was possible to attain the unlimited by worshipping its limited form. They declared that their temples, mosques and churches, made of bricks, were sacred places. In this way a strong sentiment developed to worship different deities. People were so blinded by these sentiments that they refused to listen to reason. Take the case of cows. Hindus worship cows as holy beings apparently because they give us milk. But if cows are revered as mothers because they give us milk, shouldn’t buffaloes be given a similar status? Actually buffaloes give more milk than cows. The blind followers of religion unfortunately refuse to listen to reason, because a religious sentiment for cows has taken deep root in their minds. People have been fed such ideas since childhood, so later it becomes impossible for them to discard them. Science students understand the reason for a lunar or solar eclipse. They know that the eclipse does not occur because the sun or moon has been devoured by the mythological demons Ráhu [umbra] and Ketu [penumbra]. Yet due to their childhood saîskaras, which are deeply rooted in their minds, they rush to take a holy bath in the Ganges during an eclipse. This is due to blind faith. 2. Physico-ritualistic observance: When sentiment for the physical becomes stronger than reason, we call it blind faith or religious bigotry. This leads to the view: Majhab me ákkal kádakhal nehi hai. [There is no room for rational argument in religion.] India has not seen the frenzied religious bigotry manifest by religions in other places, which has caused intense religious hostility. How many lives have been sacrificed over a single HUMAN SOCIETY IS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE – 2 321 strand of hair?7 It is very difficult to persuade religious bigots to follow the path of reason, because they believe it is a sin even to listen to others. This idea is nothing but sentiment. Some religions forbid their followers to eat beef but permit them to kill deer and goats. This is totally irrational. Different ritualistic observances arouse out of sentiment, such as the way to light and hold a lamp and the way one should kneel in prayer. No rational arguments are offered to substantiate these rituals. Moreover, during the rituals the mind is always preoccupied with physical objects. If it remains obsessively associated with such objects, how can it move towards Parama Puruïa? Many people consider their temples to be the only sacred place for worship. But it is ironic that the builders who constructed the temples were unholy people or untouchables, and as a consequence are barred from entering the premises. Each religion has its own scriptures. These scriptures are sometimes worshipped with as much reverence as the deities themselves. However, the manufacturing of the paper on which the scriptures are recorded and the printing and the binding of the book are done by people of other religions. But once the book is complete it is transformed into a holy scripture, and those who made it will not even have the right to touch it. Actually not only holy scriptures but all books are symbols of Sarasvatii Devi [the goddess of knowledge]. To pay obeisance to a book by repeatedly touching the forehead with it is a religious observance. Many people spend huge sums of money to make idols of clay, only to immerse them in a river with pomp and ceremony

7 Although India may not have experienced the frenzied religious bigotry manifest by religions in other places, riots lasting several weeks broke out in the Kashmir Valley, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal after a strand of hair, said to be a religious relic, was reported missing near Srinagar on 26 December 1963. –Eds.

322 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 at the conclusion of a religious festival. If the people of another religion happen to break only a finger of an idol, terrible bloodshed will ensue. Thus those who advocate the formation of countries on the basis of religious faith will cause irreparable damage to society by fragmenting the human race. 3. Tradition: People easily accept traditions without seeking the reasons for them. Since olden times the Semitic peoples have practised circumcision. Moses and Mohammed accepted this system and today it has become a tradition. The ancient Austrics used to worship the sun. They propitiated the Sun God in order to be blessed with good rain and bumper harvests. In the Austric social system women played a leading role, consequently in their system of worship and other religious ceremonies priests played no significant part. The Sun God was regarded as a female deity, the moon was a male god. The Sun God was addressed as “Mother”, and the worship done in her honour was called “Chat Puja”. Even today in Magadh, Chat Puja is held twice a year at harvest time. The sentiment for Chat Puja is so deeply rooted in the minds of the people of Magadh that their system of worship survived the powerful influence of the Aryans, Buddhists and Muslims, and is still practised today. Of course some changes have occurred in the external rituals of worship, but the system of worship is still intact. Muslims also participate in Chat Puja. In some areas they arrange the ritual themselves and in other places they organize Hindus to perform the puja on their behalf. Thus it has now become a tradition. There was a time in Bengal when Muslims used to worship Satyanáráyaòa or the Oláicánd.8

8 Names of Supreme Consciousness. –Eds.

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From the above discussion it is apparent that religions create hatred for other religions and engender blind faith in the minds of their followers. Therefore it is next to impossible for religions to establish social unity. Religious differences should be reduced to a minimum, but it should be remembered that blind religious faith cannot be eliminated by force. To attack any type of sentiment will only strengthen that sentiment. Through psychological methods people will have to be made to realize the irrational nature of blind religious faith. This requires the rational interpretation of philosophy by an enlightened intellect. When the mind is gripped by fear, it relies on blind faith rather than logic and reason. If through logic and reason fear is removed, the basis on which blind faith is built will be weakened. That is why philosophical doctrines will have to be taught in a rational way. In order to remove a person’s psycho-sentiment for a particular physical object, either the object itself will have to be removed or we will have to change the person’s attitude towards the object by reasoning with him or her in a scientific and humanistic way. For example, those who worship the moon in religious ceremonies will find it difficult to continue their practice once, as a result of scientific progress, they actually have the opportunity to walk on the moon. Blind faith must be removed through scientific progress and humanistic appeals. People will have to be united under the banner of a common religion [i.e., mánava dharma]. Due to a lack of understanding of human psychology, people of different religions try to destroy other religions. As a result rivers of blood have been spilt. In ancient India the Aryans tried to impose their own Vedic religion on the Austric community. In the Buddhist Age, particularly during the reign of King Bimbisar, Buddhism was imposed on people of other religions. Later the followers of Sanátana Dharma forcibly 324 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 converted the Buddhists and Jains to Hindu Dharma. During Muslim rule Islam was imposed on India, Persia [now Iran] and Egypt. In the same way countless Jews were converted to Christianity. During the British period,9 attempts were made by Christian missionaries to subvert Hindu Dharma and impose Christianity on the indigenous population. All this led to animosity among the world’s religions. Instead of trying to remove the factors that divide the human race, those who indulge in self-serving criticism and slander create even more problems for society. This has resulted in a situation in the world today where there is more disunity than unity. Sadvipras must take the responsibility for removing the disunity. Sadvipras will not give any importance to areas of difference, but will continuously promote and encourage the points of unity, thus strengthening unity in society. Only then will society become one and indivisible. Only then will it be worthy of the name “human society”.10

A Few Problems Solved Part 2

9 The Buddhist Age lasted from about 2,500 years ago to 700. King Bimbisar ruled about 2,500 years ago. The Muslim period in India lasted from 1193 to 1857. The British period lasted from 1757 to 1947. –Eds. 10 See also “Human Society Is One and Indivisible – 3” in Volume 3. –Eds.

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION

The economic development of a country depends on the combined labour of various social groups. That is why the system of division of labour gradually evolved out of the family-based economy. The value of the labour of all groups, from the industrial labourers to the peasants, carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, physicians and clerks, has equal value for the overall development of an economy.

The Economy of Ancient India

In ancient India a type of elastic economy existed which encouraged the collective economic endeavours of the people. In the Vedic Age the Indian economic system was based on the caste system. 1 Four castes evolved, called the Shúdras, Kïatriyas, Vipras and Vaeshyas, and each of these castes did particular activities on a regular basis. One caste took up farming, while other castes engaged in other occupations. People did not all gravitate towards agricultural work, as is the case today. As the varòáshrama [caste] system was hereditary, there was little chance of socio-economic imbalance occurring. At that time agriculturalists attained a high degree of expertise and efficiency. Kings used to take direct interest in the various aspects of agriculture, such as intercropping, seasonal planting, large- and small-scale farming, the use of manure and pesticides, the creation of irrigation systems using rivers and canals, and dairy farming. In was the responsibility

1 The Vedic Age lasted from about 15,000 to 2,200 years ago. However, the Aryans first migrated to India in stages in the period 10,000 to 7,000 years ago, bringing with them the caste system, which then evolved in India. –Eds.

326 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 of the state to appropriate unutilized land from zamindars and give it to those who were able to cultivate it.2 The value of land was determined by its fertility. The state used to fix the price of agricultural produce, so there was little scope for business people to exploit farmers.

The Impact of the British

After the arrival of the British in India3 economic balance was lost, mainly because the British government was totally indifferent to the development of the indigenous industry and agriculture. They did not even plan for this type of development. Instead they introduced a new system of education4 whose main function was to produce a class of clerks to be utilized by the British government for the consolidation of its administrative power. Many people gave up their hereditary occupations and sought posts in the British administration. This seriously damaged the agricultural system. The second cause of economic imbalance was the gradual collapse of indigenous industrial enterprises, notably the hand- weaving industry. The supply of cloth from the Manchester cotton mills led to a reduction in demand for hand-woven cloth. The supply of aluminium utensils also destroyed India’s pottery industry. The factories established by the British severely affected indigenous industries because they made use of the latest technology. Consequently those employed in indigenous industries gradually gave up their traditional

2 The zamindary system became prominent during the Mughal Empire (1526- 1857), but it was abolished by the Government of India in 1951, soon after independence. See also “Feudalism and the Zamindary System” in Volume 4. –Eds. 3 The British arrived in the beginning of the 17th century, but their rule began in 1757 and ended in 1947. –Eds. 4 With the passing of the English Education Act, 1835, English was used in education and to promote English literature and science. –Eds.

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 327 occupations and crowded into the agricultural sector in search of a livelihood. This problem was compounded by a growth in population, which led to the division and fragmentation of agricultural land. This in turn resulted in decreased production. The British became importing food from outside India to feed the population, but during the Second World War the importation of food all but ceased, causing a severe shortage of food throughout the country. In an effort to put an end to the great famine that struck Bengal in 1943,5 the Wavell administration introduced a ration system. Wavell also tried to alleviate the famine by restricting the movement of food from one province to another. But these measures did not solve the problem; instead most people merely became trapped in the food ration system.

India after Independence

Even after the departure of the British in 1947, about 145 [million] people [throughout India] were still covered by the ration system.6 This resulted in the gradual increase of black marketeering, profiteering and other corrupt practices. In an attempt to solve the problem of corruption, [in December 1947] the central government abruptly abolished the food ration system. This precipitous step caused the price of food to rise exorbitantly. After some time [i.e., in September 1948] the food ration system had to be reintroduced. The Indian leaders tried to solve the food problem by starting a “grow more food” campaign, but the campaign failed because

5 Between about 1.5 and 4 million people out of Bengal’s population of 60 million died as a result of the famine. Wavell was Commander-in-Chief, India, and then Viceroy of India from July 1941 to February 1947. The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945. –Eds. 6 The population of India at the time was about 330 million. –Eds.

328 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 the system of agriculture was not modified to increase output. The government adopted a policy of increasing the area of the land under cultivation [by cutting down the jungles and forests], but it did not increase the productivity of the existing land. Since new land was not assessed to determine its suitability for agriculture, this policy did not yield any results. And due to a lack of proper irrigation, agricultural productivity did not increase. Above all, the democratic system of government furnished bureaucrats with ample opportunity to neglect their responsibilities, and as a result of administrative mismanagement a great deal of agricultural potential went to waste. In consequence dishonest traders conspired to undermine the agricultural sector. They perpetuated the food problem in order to satisfy their own selfish interests. As a result all aspects of the agricultural system in India are extremely weak. It is a fundamental characteristic of a developed economy that about 30% to 45% of the population will be engaged in agriculture while the rest of the population are employed in industry or other sectors of the economy. Excessive dependence on agriculture is not the sign of a healthy economy. At present about 75% of the Indian population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. This is a very dangerous sign for the Indian economy. Agricultural workers are unemployed for most of the year, which is an enormous waste of human labour. The unemployment problem in agriculture must be solved immediately – it brooks no delay.

Differences between India and China

Recently a certain political party tried to rally people behind the slogan of “agricultural revolution” in an effort to solve the problem. It thought it could solve India’s agricultural problems by following the example of China. However, there are vast AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 329 differences between the agricultural problems faced by India and those of China. India’s problems can never be solved by following China’s policies. China’s basic problem is that despite considerable agricultural progress, it has not been able to feed its huge population. Moreover, China does not even have sufficient land to accommodate its huge population, and its population is continually growing. In the industrial sphere China has already exhausted most of its resources. It hopes to preserve its remaining scant resources for industrial development and thus avoid a dark future. China has three major economic problems. First, it must develop its agricultural sector so it can feed its increasing population. Secondly, the percentage of the population currently employed in agriculture must be reduced. And thirdly, employment opportunities must be provided in the non- agricultural sector of the economy through industrial expansion. Because no immediate solution could be found to these problems, China under Mao Zedong adopted a policy of grabbing land from neighbouring states. Recent Chinese attacks on Tibet, India and Russia 7 were motivated by an insatiable hunger for land.8 This is a very ingenious method of creating an agrarian revolution! The agricultural problems in India are of a different nature. There is ample scope for agricultural development and industrial modernization in India. India is suffering from economic hardship today because its economic potential has not been properly harnessed. There are two fundamental economic problems facing India. First, the agricultural potential of the country must be

7 China invaded Tibet in 1950, and attacked India in 1962 and Russia in 1969. (The Sino-Soviet border conflict lasted from 2 March to 11 September 1969.) –Eds. 8 In China approximately 11% of land is arable compared to 89% in India.

330 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 developed while reducing the number of people employed in the agricultural sector. Secondly, the percentage of the population depending on agriculture is too high and must be reduced by developing industries. Infusing in people’s minds the sentiment of grabbing land from other countries will not solve India’s agricultural problems. The only solution is to increase productivity inside the country. Those who raised the slogan “China’s agrarian revolution shows the way for India” are labouring under an illusion caused by defective thinking.

The Defects of Distributing Plots of Land

Another political party in India wants to bring about radical changes in the economic system through the policy of transferring all power to the masses. It thinks that every citizen without exception should own a piece of land. No one will remain landless. Poor people are easily won over by such sentiments. Politicians popularize these ideas only to fulfil their own political aspirations. Poor, landless peasants become overjoyed at the prospect of owning land, and are thus easily manipulated to achieve the politicians’ objectives. A certain political party advocates forcibly depriving landowners of their land and distributing it among the landless peasants. By creating a division between the landowners and the agricultural workers, these politicians are trying to cultivate a philanthropic image. Let us analyse to what extent such a policy would be conducive to the overall economic growth of India. First, if surplus land were distributed among landless people, no one would get more than an acre of land at the most. This acre of land would not be an ideal economic holding because it could not be cultivated using the latest scientific methods. A sizeable portion of the land would be wasted in demarcating boundary AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 331 lines. 9 Consequently it would not be possible to increase productivity. Increased productivity is the most important agricultural requirement in India today. Moreover, if land were distributed in this way, it would be further subdivided as the population increased, further aggravating the problem. Secondly, this approach would have the effect of increasing the number of the petite bourgeoisie. By “petite bourgeoisie” I mean those who derive unearned income by leasing their land to others for cultivation because they are in economic difficulty. If landless peasants acquired a plot of one acre, they would certainly get some psychic satisfaction, but when they failed to earn anything after cultivating the land, they would definitely become disheartened. It would require all their time, energy and money to cultivate one acre of land productively because the land would be too small to use modern agricultural techniques. The amount of produce they would get in return would not be enough to maintain their families. They would then have to lease some of that land and try to earn their income through other methods. This process would therefore lead to an increase in the number of tenant farmers and they would all become part of the petite bourgeoisie. Politicians who claim that they abhor landowners and raise slogans advocating their eradication set themselves at variance with their professed platform, because such a policy only results in the creation of more landholders. Thirdly, before redistributing the land, these politicians forcibly occupy it, steal the produce, set fire to the crops, and through a host of other subversive methods, instigate hostilities against the landowners. Consequently landowners become increasingly indifferent to the agricultural production of their land, as they lack economic security.

9 Demarcating land with a low mud wall, 30 centimetres or so wide, renders that much land unarable. –Eds.

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When these factors are taken in combination, they only serve to aggravate the agricultural problem rather than solve it. Thus, in order to solve the agricultural problems of India, China’s system, which is based on the principle that the one who works the plough should own the land, is not suitable. The solution to India’s agricultural problems requires a radical overhaul of the entire agricultural system.

Economic Landholdings

According to Prout, the first step in achieving increased production is the creation of economic holdings. An economic holding is a holding where output exceeds input. It is not possible to predetermine the size of this type of economic unit. In order to determine the optimum size of an economic unit, factors such as input, output, productivity, the fertility of the soil and climatic conditions will have to be considered. Many people today believe that even if the size of a landholding is small it is possible to increase the production. Increased production depends upon the expertise of farm managers and their correct, timely decisions. If managers are competent, even large farms can increase their production. Of course, it is not necessary for farms to be large. The main point is that the holdings are economically viable. There is no justification for the 15% loss in annual production of the large collective farms in Russia. To increase productivity and prevent the growth of large exploitative cultivators, the minimum and maximum size of an economic landholding should be ascertained. The minimum size of a landholding will be equal to the area of an economic holding in a given locality. So the minimum size of an economic landholding will vary from place to place. The maximum size of a landholding will depend upon the fertility of the soil, overall production and the expertise of the AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 333 management. An economic holding will generally consist of land situated on the same level, with adequate irrigation and other agricultural facilities. Keeping such factors in mind, we should gradually increase the size of economic holdings. The size of an economic holding will vary from country to country. It will also vary within individual countries. In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, for example, a five-acre holding can be highly productive, whereas in Ladakh or the Chotanagpur Hills even fifteen or sixteen acres of land may not yield enough produce to live on. The size of economic holdings in these two places will therefore differ. The following points should be clearly remembered. First, distributing land to people will not solve their problems. The ownership of the land is of little consequence; what matters is the amount of produce obtained from the land. Secondly, merely handing over the management of a piece of land to a person will not ensure the desired yield. It is not always possible for a person to invest the amount of money needed to cultivate the land according to the most modern methods, in which case the yield will automatically decrease. Above all, economic decentralization is essential to a healthy economy.

Implementing the Cooperative System

In a decentralized economy, agricultural land should be managed through the cooperative system. It is not wise, however, to place all the land under cooperative management at one time, because cooperatives are built on the collective labour and experience of a community. The community must develop an efficient economic environment, have shared economic needs and create a ready market for their cooperatively-produced goods. Unless these three factors are present, a cooperative enterprise cannot prosper. 334 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Once a congenial environment has been created, the land should gradually be placed under cooperative management. Then it will be possible, with the help of appropriate technology, to increase agricultural production. There should be a two-phase plan to introduce cooperative land management. In the first phase all uneconomic holdings should be required to join the cooperative system so that they may become economic holdings. In this phase cooperatives will only consist of people who merged their land together to make an economic holding. Private ownership will still be recognized. For example, one person may own one acre, another two acres and a third person three acres in the cooperative. Each cooperative member will be entitled to a share of the total production, according to the amount of land they have in the cooperative. Each individual will retain the deed of ownership of his or her land, but agricultural work will be carried out cooperatively. Consequently land that was used to demarcate boundary lines will no longer be left uncultivated. In certain places in Bihar and Bengal, the total area of arable land is less than the amount of land wasted on boundaries. If the cooperative system is introduced, everyone will benefit. In the first phase of the plan, people who own land that is productive as an economic holding need not join a cooperative. However, if an economic holding consists of land that is broken up into small plots, the scattered plots should be consolidated into one holding. Small, scattered, uneconomic plots should be joined together and placed under cooperative management. In the second phase, everyone should be encouraged to join the cooperative system. In the third phase there should be rational distribution of land and redetermination of ownership. In this new system two factors will determine the rational distribution of the land: the AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 335 minimum amount of land necessary to maintain a family, and a farmer’s capacity to utilize the land. In the fourth phase conflict over the ownership of land will cease to be an issue. A congenial environment will exist due to people’s psychic expansion, because they will learn to think for the collective welfare rather than for their own self-interest. Such a change certainly will not come about overnight. Unless there is suitable psychic preparation through internal urge and external pressure over a period of time, people will never accept such a system, and it cannot be forcibly imposed on them. The leaders of Russia were ignorant of the collective psychology of the people, so they tried to impose collective farming on them by force. This produced severe famines and massive civil unrest. Instead of adopting psychological measures, the administration attempted to solve these problems by resorting to brute force. This resulted in the killing of many people. Sadvipras will never go against the collective psychology of a country and thereby cause its ruin. Many people raise questions about cooperatives because in most countries the cooperative system has failed. It is not appropriate, however, to criticize the cooperative system on the basis of the examples to date, because most countries could not create the indispensible conditions necessary for the success of the cooperative system. Three main factors are responsible for the success of cooperatives: morality, strong supervision and their wholehearted acceptance by the masses. Wherever these three factors have been present in some measure, cooperatives have achieved a proportionate degree of success. Take the case of Israel. Because it is surrounded by enemies, the Israeli people are extremely aware of the need to be self- reliant. They have a strong desire to consolidate the national 336 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 economy. They have therefore converted arid deserts into productive agricultural land through the cooperative system.10 As this kind of mentality has never been created in India, India is a classic example of the failure of the cooperative system. Indian cooperatives were not created for the purposes of economic development but to satisfy political interests. Under such circumstances it was impossible for the cooperative system to succeed. Good examples must be established in order to encourage people to adopt the cooperative system. There should be pilot cooperative projects, machine stations, efficient irrigation systems, and improved seeds and pesticides. At the same time it is essential to educate people about the benefits of cooperatives. Instead of teaching people how to increase productivity, the Indian leaders show films on birth control in the market place. There is no recourse but to call such leaders great enemies of humanity.

Modernization

Prout advocates a high degree of modernization in agriculture and industry. In the cooperative agricultural system, modern equipment must be used to increase production. Tractors, for example, can dig the land deeply, bringing the soil underneath to the surface and taking the topsoil to a lower level. The fertility of the topsoil diminishes as a result of continuous cultivation, so when the tractor brings soil to the surface from a lower level, the productivity of the soil increases. At the same time the depleted topsoil has the chance to recover its vitality, enabling it to be used again in the future. This is one benefit of tractors. A second benefit is that farmers do not need to keep water buffalo for ploughing the fields.

10 By 1960 there were over 200 kibbutzim in Israel. –Eds. AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 337

Where water buffalo are used for ploughing, they remain idle for six months each year. During that period it costs a lot to maintain them properly. In the modern world it is no longer appropriate to use large animals. In Europe horses and elephants are no longer used. To keep pace with the times, tractors should be used today. One tractor can perform the work of at least eight pairs of water buffalo. People who farm from half to three acres of land have to pay for the maintenance of a pair of water buffalo. This is a waste of resources. If modern farming equipment is used, agriculture will cease to remain labour intensive and it will be possible to employ people in other areas, thereby accelerating the development of the country. For this, new job opportunities will have to be created. If fewer people are employed in agricultural cooperatives, there will be substantial savings. At the same time the agricultural work currently performed by women and children will disappear, leaving them with more free time for personal development. Improved technology will also link the villages to the cities and towns, leading to an increase in the standard of living in the villages.

No Intermediaries

In the Proutistic system of agriculture, there is no place for middlemen [intermediaries]. Those who invest capital to employ the productive labour of others in order to earn a profit are known as capitalists. Capitalists, like parasites, feed on the blood of industrial and agricultural labourers. In the agricultural sector intermediaries are called “agricultural capitalists”. They arrange for their own land to be cultivated by others and take the profits. In India the intermediary system has existed since ancient times. There are many types of landowners, such as zamindars, pattanidars, darpattanidars, sepattanidars, jotedars, bargadars 338 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 and adhikaris, who are all intermediaries. In modern India the zamindary and sharecropping systems have been abolished, but the feudal psychology remains.11 The present feudal rulers do not actually own land. They lease it from the owner and hire labour to cultivate it, and in return pay the owner a certain percentage of the produce. So they exploit both the owner of the land and the agricultural labourers who work it. The number of intermediaries is steadily increasing. Prout does not support intermediaries. Slogans such as “The land belongs to those who work the plough,” or “Those who sow the seeds should reap the harvest,” are also untenable. Policies based on such attitudes lead to the creation of a petit bourgeois class.

The First Phase of Agrarian Revolution

In the first phase of agrarian revolution, Prout will recognize the private ownership of land within the cooperative system. People will have the right to hire labourers for cultivation, but if they do, they should give 50% of the total produce as wages to the labourers who work in the agricultural cooperative. In other words, the owners of the land will receive 50% of the total produce and those who grow the produce through their labour will receive the other 50%. It is important that this ratio will never decrease; if anything, it should increase in favour of the agricultural labourers who work in the cooperative. The managerial staff of a cooperative should be constituted only from among those who have shares in the cooperative, and they should be elected. No honorary positions will be created as this may lead to corruption. The salaries of managers will be

11 The zamindary system was abolished shortly after India gained independence in 1947 with the passing of the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, which, among other things, validated agrarian reform measures passed by state parliaments. See also “Feudalism and the Zamindary System” in Volume 4. –Eds. AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 339 paid according to the quality of their intellectual advice.12 The members of a cooperative may also work as manual labourers if they so desire, and for this they will be paid separate wages. So members of a cooperative can earn income in two ways: as a return on the land placed under the management of the cooperative and for their productive [manual and/or intellectual] labour. The total produce of the cooperative should therefore be divided into two equal parts: 50% will be allocated for the payment of labour costs and 50% will go to the shareholders who contributed land.13

Solving the Unemployment Problem

Agricultural experts and scientists are also needed for the development of agriculture. Producers’ cooperatives should employ people with these types of skills. As a result educated people will be able to find employment in the villages and will therefore not migrate to the cities. At the same time there will be agricultural development. Prout believes in a decentralized economy. So policies should not only take into consideration the development of individual regions but also accelerate the all-round development of the entire socio-economic area through the planned utilization of local potential and resources. Such policies require that local people be given priority in employment opportunities in agricultural cooperatives. In modern India there are two distinct areas: areas of surplus labour and others of deficit labour. As a result there is a steady migration from areas with surplus labour to other regions. The concept of surplus labour, however, is a relative one. In areas

12 I.e., the level of their professional expertise. –Eds. 13 See also “Farmers’ Cooperatives” in Volume 3. –Eds.

340 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 where adequate economic development has not occurred, there is surplus labour. Labour becomes surplus in all undeveloped socio-economic areas. When the surplus labour moves to another region, it means that the area will forever remain undeveloped. So Prout advocates the creation of employment for all the local people as a top priority in areas of surplus labour. This policy will raise the standard of living of the local people as well as that of the whole area. However, if it is not implemented and surplus labour is allowed to move to other areas and the Marxist policy “Those who sow shall reap” is also followed, tea plantations, coal mines and other industries will be controlled by outside labour and local people will not get any opportunities. A very dangerous situation will be created. Thus Prout’s approach is to give local people the first priority in employment opportunities. Efforts to increase employment opportunities should continue until all the local people are fully employed. No new development programmes should be started until there is a further demand for labour. The Scandinavian countries did not commence new development schemes for this reason. Those creating employment opportunities must take into consideration the sentiments of local people. In provinces of India where there is surplus intellect, for example, workers of this type are ready to work as clerks for as little as thirty rupees a month, but they are not prepared to work as porters to earn more. The problem of surplus intellectual labour is a special one and needs to be solved accordingly. In such areas industries that require less manual labour should be established. In this way different types of development schemes will have to be adopted in different socio-economic units, depending upon time, place and person.

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION 341

Agricultural Taxation

Current methods of taxing farmers cannot be supported because they are inconvenient for both the tax collectors and the farmers. The zamindary system, which was reorganized during the British period for the purpose of collecting taxes, was also defective. Farmers had to pay a fixed amount to the treasury annually for the land they leased from the zamindars. At the time of a flood, crop failure or any other disaster, the fixed amount still had to be paid. The zamindars used to sit around and eat, like social parasites. Even today land tax is determined according to the area of land one owns, so if the crop fails one year, the government has to reduce its taxes. When there is an abundant harvest, the government has to increase its taxes through levies. This system causes great inconvenience to the farmers. The best system of taxation was in vogue in the ancient Hindu Age.14 In those days only one eighth of the total produce was given to the king as taxes. The farmers were also permitted to give cows, horses or sheep as taxes. This system was convenient for the farmers. Today, however, farmers face a great deal of inconvenience because they have to pay their taxes in cash. Farmers cannot always sell agricultural produce for cash because a ready market does not always exist. Thus Prout advocates that a certain percentage of the farmer’s produce should be acceptable as direct taxes. It is also to the advantage of the government to realize taxes in the form of goods, because it needs to store produce as an insurance against future contingencies. Taxes in the form of produce can be easily distributed from government stores when the people are in need. Moreover government supplies may be used to meet the requirements of people in the towns and cities.

14 The ancient Hindu Age refers to a period before 2,500 years ago. –Eds. 342 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

With a proper system it is possible to rapidly transform the Indian economy. Raising slogans and assaulting and killing landowners to bring about agricultural reform will not succeed. It is only possible to consolidate the economy through constructive change. Sadvipras will have to shoulder the great responsibility of implementing reforms to ensure the welfare of all.

A Few Problems Solved Part 2

SOCIAL VALUE AND HUMAN CARDINAL PRINCIPLES

After passing through various evolutionary stages, human beings have attained their present state. Their journey has not been individualistic; they have advanced together collectively. Even in the distant past humans lived in clans and tribes, because they could not easily find the things they needed to survive living by themselves. An individual who totally shuns collective life finds existence difficult, for humans are essentially social beings. Whenever one thinks of a human being, one automatically thinks of the society in which he or she lives. Thus a human’s existence is two-sided: first, the person as an individual, his or her individual existence; and secondly, the person as a member of society, his or her collective existence. A human being’s value is ascertained by taking these two types of existence into account. One value of the person is his or her social value, and the other is his or her human value.

Social Value

The social value of a human being is based on a person’s social responsibilities. As a member of society, a person has to discharge certain duties and responsibilities. Those who shoulder great responsibility are naturally accorded recognition and respect, because the good of all depends upon the proper execution of their duties. An analysis of history will show that in the Kïatriya Age kings and emperors were honoured the most. In their courts everyone bowed before them in spontaneous respect, for they 344 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 had conquered the hearts of the people by virtue of their heroism, valour and chivalry. During the Vipra Age the kïatriyas and the other social classes were so overwhelmed by the vipras’ intellectual might, which they had used to invent various things to further human welfare, that they surrendered before them. The vipras were regarded as wise because their intellectual effort benefited the common people. Out of awe and respect, everyone prostrated at the lotus feet of these great people. The truth is that human beings have in all times and in all places paid tribute to social value, but never, not even for a moment, has anyone respected cardinal human principles.

Cardinal Human Principles

Cardinal human principles are the silver lining between the psycho-spiritual and spiritual strata of human existence. The meeting point of the psycho-spiritual and spiritual strata is called the “cardinal human stratum”. Human existence is trifarious, a combination of three aspects: physical, mental and spiritual. Most people cannot transcend the limits of their physical existence; crude worldly pleasures become the only enjoyment of their lives. They embody all that is beastly in human nature, goaded and tormented as they are by carnal desires. The subtle feelings of life, the subtle expressions and practices, are beyond their reach. Their world is limited to their bodies and physical requirements. Other people are more concerned with their minds. They feel that it is the supremacy of the mind that has differentiated them from animals. Their lives are guided by their desire for mental satisfaction. By virtue of their subtle endeavours, they create poetry, art, music, sculpture, etc. They express the finer human feelings, such as mercy, sympathy, love, friendship and pity. SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 345

They realize that the mind exists for the sole purpose of attaining the infinite, and hence they focus their energies on the contemplation of the Supreme Entity. They are sádhakas [spiritual aspirants], and they alone are worthy of being called human beings. Drawn by the irresistible attraction of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness], they move speedily forward and reach the stage that marks the end of mental existence and the beginning of spirituality. At that stage one is no longer a human being; one is a veritable god. It is the duty of every person to reach this confluence of the mental and spiritual strata. It is the pinnacle of human progress, the point where humanity ceases to exist as it merges in divine beatitude. The culminating point of animality is the commencement of humanity. The highest peak of human progress is the beginning of divine bliss. Where animality ends, humanity begins; where humanity culminates, divinity starts. The meeting point of the highest attainment of humanity and the blossoming of divinity is the base on which the cardinal human principles are established.

The Neglect of Human Value in the Past

A glimpse through human history reveals that at no time has human value been truly honoured. What is worse, nobody has looked upon humanity with sympathy. The only people to be respected were those who, while serving their own selfish interests, climbed into the higher echelons of society. It is difficult to step down from a high vantage point to rub shoulders with the downtrodden. The neglect of humanity was particularly acute towards the end of each era of the samája cakra [social cycle]. On attaining power the progeny of the noble kïatriyas pursued pleasure and comfort, utterly neglecting their sacred duty to serve their 346 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 subjects. They never bothered to learn about people’s suffering. They were not concerned by the bent old man, decimated by poverty in the Himalayas, being mercilessly beaten by a royal servant for default on a tax payment. Kind-hearted and philanthropic kings did exist, but was there any king who, besides meeting the psycho-physical needs of his people, opened the gateway to realization of the infinite? For self- aggrandisement and in a bid to conquer the world, they invaded countries, one after another. How could they afford to inquire into the tragic plight of the common people? The Vipra Age illustrated the same thing: the scholarly vipras were hardly accessible to the common people. The innocent masses were busy appeasing the vipras with oblations, honorariums and floral offerings. Where was the time for the vipras to take care of the needy families of the poor neighbourhoods who were perhaps dying of starvation? And what would be the material benefit of such an action? Service to the poor would pay nothing, so let them go to hell, let them die en masse. So nobody had anything to do with the poor. And anyway, the vipras were busy with worship, prayer and observing sacraments. All their energies were spent in the appeasement of the gods and goddesses enthroned in the temples, churches or mosques. There was simply no opportunity to inculcate more humane qualities. According to vipra scriptures, a temple made of bricks and wood was of more value than humanity itself. Suppose an old beggar, numb from the cold chill of the night, is standing wearily in front of a temple, his begging bowl empty. The temple is reverberating with ringing bells, and the deity is being worshipped in accordance with the scriptural dictates. While the devotees stand before the deity with hands folded in reverence, the beggar shivers bitterly outside. On completing the ritual, the people leave the temple one by one, followed by the priest. The beggar entreats him to let him sleep in one SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 347 corner of the temple. The priest’s reply is emphatic: “I can’t afford to pollute the temple for your sake.” And the old man has to trudge into the world of uncertainty, and perhaps bury himself in the coffin of the cold. The sanctity of inert wood and bricks is valued more than a man’s life.

Virtue and Vice

Notions of pápa [vice] and puòya [virtue], codes of justice and scriptural texts, which are claimed to be the word of God, have been formulated by different religions to further vested interests. Those who oppose the scriptures or the system they support are subject to severe punishment. To touch a person of a different caste is a great sin, and those who commit such sacrilegious acts will be excommunicated. They will have to make atonement according to scriptural decree, and sometimes the magnitude of their penance may be the cause of their death. If they plead for a milder dose of punishment, the priests express their helplessness: one cannot defy the scriptures! Those who are ensnared by the scriptures cannot be expected to know the value of human life. It takes millions of years, lives and stages to get a human body. Therefore it has been said: Durlabhaîmanuïaîjanmaì. [“Human birth is difficult to get.”] But nobody knows how many invaluable lives have been nipped in the bud or how many innocent lives have been slaughtered at the altar of the scriptures. Vice and virtue are the outcome of mental distortions under the influence of time, space and person. The mental perversion that is vice in one country or in one age passes for virtue in another country or another age. So it is unwise to attach absolute importance to the notion of vice and virtue promoted by particular individuals in a given time. Vice and virtue have their origins either in religious faith or social prejudices, as a 348 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 result of natural or other causes, and they undergo changes in time, space and person. In ancient India grief-stricken wives mourning the death of their husbands were dragged pitilessly onto the funeral pyre and burnt to death. Those who did this remained unaffected because according to their scriptures it was a virtuous act. Today, however, it is treated as a vice. These fabricated religious injunctions have been a repeated cause of exploitation. Placing blind faith in the scriptures, people used to derive pleasure from cruel human sacrifice. The scriptures also proclaimed that to live the life of a virgin was a vice. Hence it was not uncommon for a nine-year-old girl to be forced to marry an old man waiting at the jaws of death. After the death of her old spouse, hymns were chanted to make the young bride believe that she was destined to return to her husband after her own death and had no right to start a new phase in this life by marrying again. They tried to force a sentimental woman to live a life of austerity to ensure reunion with her husband in the afterlife, while there was no restriction on a man having many wives. Women who were forcibly married to men having a number of wives suffered a life of misery due to their co-wives. Folklores and doggerels bear an excellent testimony to this:

Satiinke márte párlei shánti Gáóu gáóu gáóu Satiin mere háte parba kháóu.

[Peace comes with the co-wife’s death. Oh what joy! I shall kill my co-wife and adorn my arms with bangles.]

Even today, within some social groups, the cutting remarks of the mother-in-law and the husband’s sisters rob the wife of her zest for life. The story goes that a wife had her rice rationed SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 349 to one earthen cup full by her mother-in-law. One day, as luck would have it, the measuring cup broke into countless pieces. Oh, what joy the wife felt. But the mother-in-law cruelly remarked,

Choía sarákháni bheîge geche, baóa sarákháni áche, Náca ár kán\da bau, háte áíkal áche.

[The small earthen cup has broken, the big one is left. Your joy is in vain, daughter-in-law, for my hand will now be your measure.]

Can there be any greater cruelty than this? Even when supplying the minimum requirements, meanness was perpetrated with such cruelty. The inhuman rules and regulations and tortures inside the house made the life of a woman intolerable. Unable to bear it, those helpless women had to cry in secret. The dogma of the scriptures crushed their feelings, their hopes and aspirations, their sorrow and despair, like a steamroller flattening soft clay. Nobody has paid any heed to their sobs and tearful outbursts. Irrational norms based on vice and virtue have repeatedly hated and trampled on the heart of humanity. I repeat that no scripture should gain supremacy by slighting or neglecting humanity. Scriptures have been written by human beings in order to bring freedom to human life. They should provide rules, but these rules should in no way send humanity to its grave. Their utility lies in promoting freedom from bondage and leading humanity along the path of union with Cosmic Consciousness, the source of everything. Scriptures that throttle society to death or arrest its natural movement should never be accepted. Vice and virtue should not be defined on the whims of certain individuals. People must move towards that stage from which no further advancement is possible. That action which 350 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 blocks this movement is vice and that which facilitates it is virtue. To exploit an individual, a group or the entire society for one’s own interest or the interest of the group, or to deprive a person of the right to exist, is vice. There should be rules to punish such acts, but such punishment should not kill or prevent one from progressing along life’s path, otherwise it may also be treated as vice. Punishment should always be for rectification. The penal code will have to be based on human value. Ananda Marga’s social treatise states: first use sweet words to make the offenders understand their mistakes. Then use harsher words. In the third stage inform them of the possibility of penal measures. And in the fourth stage, take penal measures against them.1 In this way human appeals lie at the root of punitive measures. People commit sin for many different reasons, but scope should always be given for rectification. If they fail to realize what they have done, it should be explained to them. If they ignore such reasoning, they will be liable for punishment. Moreover, only the offenders themselves will be punished; under no circumstances will their relatives be punished as well. Penal measures will be withdrawn as soon as the offenders have corrected themselves. An entire life should not have to be wasted over a single act of vice. On no account should anybody be abandoned by society. Those who worship a marble deity in the dark corner of a temple and neglect the poor multitudes who are themselves an embodiment of God, gain nothing in this life nor for the life hereafter. The neglect of a person who is the embodiment of

1 See point 28 in “Society”, Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 2, 1956, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

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God is tantamount to neglecting God Himself. 2 A truly righteous person realizes that God is not in a temple but manifests Himself in His creation.

Ruddhadváre deválayer koòe kena áchis ore Andhakáre lukiye ápan mane káháre tui pújis sauôgopane Nayan mele dekh dekhi tui ceye devatá nai ghare Tini gechen jetháy máíi bheuôge karche cáïácáï Páthar bheuôge kháíche jetháy path kháíche bára más

[Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee! He is where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the pathmaker is breaking stones.3]

In the Vipra Age humanity was affronted by the creation of divisions between high and low. People of high birth would lose their caste if they touched a low-caste person. Even worse, if a Vedic Brahman stepped in the shadow of a low-caste person, he was declared an outcaste. In no other age has humanity suffered such hatred and insult. Rabindranath says this about such people: “By standing aloof from your fellow human beings every day, you have hated the God enthroned in their hearts.” Instead of hating anyone, sadvipras will encourage everyone to build good lives. This will be the principal duty of sadvipras.

2 Philosophically, God means Cosmic Consciousness, which is also referred to as “Cosmic (or Supreme) Father”. (The Cosmic Operative Principle is referred to as

“Supreme Mother”.) –Eds. 3 This is Rabindranath Tagore’s own translation of the above Bengali lines from his poem “Bhajan Pújan Sádhaná Arádhaná”. The translation was published as part of poem 11, “Leave This Chanting”, in the English anthology Gitanjali (Song Offerings), which contains a number of poems from Gitanjali, published in Bengali on 14 August 1910. –Eds.

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No one should be given scope to feel that his or her life has gone in vain.

The Neglect of Human Value Today

At present life is valued on the basis of money.

Yasyásti vittaî sah narah kuliinah; Sa paòìitah sah shrutavána guòajiôah. Sa eva vaktá sa ca darshaniiyah; Sarve guòáh káiôcaòamáshrayanti.

[Those who have wealth are high-caste, are well-educated, possess many abilities, are good orators and are good-looking. They have all these qualities because they have money.]

These days a person who possesses wealth is respected and revered, whereas a person without money is a person honoured by none. The poor, whoever they may be, have to woo the rich just for the sake of earning their livelihood. Human value has become meaningless, for human beings have become the means for the rich to earn money. The rich, having purchased the human mind with their money, are busy playing a game of chess with the other members of society. Bereft of everything, people toil round the clock to earn a mere pittance. Today the motto of poor people is,

Gholájale neme páná íhele niti On\Gaun\geti prátahsnán Vigata-sprha pákasthaliite Tena tena duío annadán.

[I have to put some food particles into my apathetic stomach after somehow taking a dip in the muddy water amidst hyacinths.]

SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 353

Those who are at the helm of society are constantly suspicious of others and always count their profit and loss. They have no desire to think about the plight of humanity. Rather, to gratify themselves, they are ready to chew human bones and suck human blood. For the self-centred there is no place for feelings of mercy, sympathy or camaraderie. The railway stations and market places are full of half-clad beggars and lepers desperately holding out their begging bowls, earning their living in the only way they know. They are fortunate if someone contemptuously flings them a copper coin. The old blind beggars sitting all day long on the steps of a bridge automatically lift their bowls with a distressed voice whenever they hear footsteps, but their hungry pleas fall on deaf ears. At the other end of the social spectrum sumptuous dishes are being prepared to entertain rich dignitaries. These contrasts make a mockery of the present human society. Today those who occupy high posts are also respected. Dignity is attached to post or rank. A stationmaster will take great pains to prepare for the railway minister’s visit, but will never trouble himself with the inconveniences faced by ordinary passengers. Luxurious houses are built for high- ranking officers while the poor live in shantytowns, barely protected from the elements. I am not saying that large houses should never be built, but first everyone should be provided with the minimum requirements. [Let us affirm:] “I recognize that both rice and delicious food are necessary for people, but I will not demand delicious food from the food goddess until I see that India has produced abundant rice.” These days educated people are so proud of their erudition that they detest uneducated people and avoid the company of common folk. Thus they shun village life and want to live in the cities. When the question of returning to their village arises, they say, “What on earth would we do in a village? There’s no one to talk to. Only idiots live there.” This explains why so 354 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 much attention is focussed on urban areas to the detriment of villages. While soliciting votes, political leaders pay a short visit to some villages and make attractive-sounding promises. They readily inform the ignorant populace of their great achievements in constructing huge dams, though perhaps village cultivation is becoming impossible due to a lack of irrigation water. They describe in great detail their plans to build bridges and bungalows and to install television sets, though perhaps in these villages people die for want of medicine, or beg for food in poverty-stricken desperation. In this way, by failing to satisfy people’s minimum requirements, with every step they make a mockery of their humanity. And yet the common villager constitutes the backbone of society. Even in the towns people do not have the same opportunities. Pavements have become the home for many people. Rabindranath says, “There are always a number of uncelebrated people in human civilization. They form the majority and they are the common people, but they have no time to become human beings. They are raised on the leftovers of the national wealth. They are poorly dressed and receive little education, yet they serve the rest of society. They give maximum labour but are rewarded with ignominy – they die of starvation or are tortured to death by those they serve. They are deprived of all life’s amenities. They are the candlesticks of civilization; they stand erect with the candle resting on their heads. Everyone gets light from it, while they suffer the discomfort of wax trickling down their bodies. In this way the dishonesty of human beings or the neglect of human value has become a social malady nowadays.” Another glaring example of the neglect of human value is the present judicial system. When arrested, people stand accused and face trail based on evidence and the eloquence of lawyers, regardless of whether they are guilty or not. A criminal who SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 355 can afford to hire a reputable lawyer may emerge from the legal process unscathed, whereas an innocent person of meagre financial means, unable to hire good counsel, may end up in prison. If a thief is set free it is no doubt a crime, but if an innocent person is punished it is a great dishonour for humanity. One of the primary causes of crime today is the lack of virtuous people. Those who are honest try to follow moral principles in their personal lives, but at times they have to abandon morality due to the pressure of poverty. One day they may find themselves accused, charged with committing theft. The law is not concerned with the poverty that forced them to steal, nor, indeed, does the law make provision for the maintenance of their families if they are given a prison sentence. Consequently their children may become pickpockets and petty thieves, and their unfortunate wives may have to embrace an ignoble and sinful life in the underworld, as they must survive. On being released from jail, the men will face social discrimination and rejection and, with little choice, will be forced to take up crime as their profession. In this way hundreds of families are being ruined each day. Nobody feels their agony or offers them sympathy, for today the common people are not anybody’s concern. The black marketeers who escape punishment through the power of money occupy commanding positions in society – the more devious and hypocritical one is, the more powerful one becomes.

The Neohumanism of Sadvipras

To sadvipras, the value of human life surpasses all other values. So states and scriptures, societies and religions acquire significance only insofar as they develop humanity to the highest point through learning, culture, physical health and 356 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 economic prosperity. It is for the sake of developing humanity that civilization has so many institutions of various kinds, that states take their different forms, that theories proliferate, and that scriptures abound in ordinances and regulations. What in the world does the state stand for, what is the use of all these regulations, and what are the marvels of civilization for, if people are prevented from developing themselves, if they do not get the opportunity to build good physiques, to invigorate their intelligence with knowledge, or to broaden their hearts with love and compassion? If, instead of being responsible for leading human beings to the goal of life, the state stands in the way, it cannot command loyalty, because humanity is superior to the state. According to Rabindranath, “Justice and law at the cost of humanity is like a stone instead of bread. Maybe that stone is rare and valuable, but it cannot remove hunger.” It is customary to give preference to social value over human value. Sadvipras want to strike at the root of this custom. For them, human value takes precedence over social value. Human beings form the society, and hence human value must lay the foundation for social value. In other words, those who show respect to human value will be entitled to social value. It was mentioned earlier that human value means nothing but to treat the joys and sorrows, hopes and aspirations of human beings sympathetically, and see them established in divine majesty and merged in Supreme Consciousness. And if one is to elevate oneself to that sublime height, he or she will have to be provided with an environment suitable to his or her physical, mental and spiritual existence. It is the birthright of everyone to make progress in their trifarious existence. It is the duty of society to accord recognition to this human right. Society has failed to do its duty, and that is why life is full of sorrows and sufferings. No one can say for certain that no great person might have emerged from among those wayward urchins whom we are wont to slight and hate. Women who SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 357 have turned to prostitution for the sake of their physical existence might have grown into noble personalities if their agony had been appreciated sympathetically, and if they had been rehabilitated by society. But since society has nothing to do with human value, a good number of great personalities are withering away in their embryonic stage. The sadvipras will undertake to revive and uplift the neglected sections of humanity. To them no sinner is contemptible, no one is a rogue. People turn into satans or sinners when, for want of proper guidance, they are goaded by depraving propensities. The human mind goaded by depraving propensities is satan. If their propensities are sublimated, they will no longer be satans; they will be transformed into gods. Every course of action of society ought to be judged with an eye to the dictum “Human beings are divine children”. So the purpose of the penal code that will be framed by the sadvipras will be to rectify and not to punish a person. They will knock down the prisons and build rectification centres. Those who are born criminals, in other words, those who perpetrate crimes because of some inherent defects, ought to be offered treatment so that they may humanize themselves. And regarding those who commit crimes out of poverty, their poverty must be removed.4 The significance of society lies in moving together. If in the course of the journey anybody lags behind, if in the darkness of night a gust of wind blows out anybody’s lamp, we should not simply go ahead and leave them in trouble. We should extend a hand to help them move forward, and rekindle their lamps with the flames of our lamps.

Vartikálaiyáháte calechila ek sáthe; Pathe nibe geche álo pare áche tái.

4 See also “Justice” in Volume 1. –Eds. 358 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Tomráki dayákare tulibenáháth dhare; Ardhadaòìa tár tare thámibenábhái.

[While marching together with lamps in our hands, someone’s lamp has gone out, and he is lying beside the road. Brothers and sisters, will you not stop for a moment to lift him up?]

Stop we must, otherwise the spirit of society will be undermined. A rïi [sage] has said, Samamantreòa jáyate iti samájah. [“Society is the collective movement of a group of people who have made a unanimous decision to move together towards a common goal.”] That is, whether people are pápii [sinners] or tápii [victims], thieves, criminals or characterless individuals, they are so only superficially; internally they are filled with the potential for purity. The principal objective of the sadvipras is to explore their potentiality and bring it into play. They will accord human value to everyone, without exception. Those who have done hateful crimes must be punished, but sadvipras will never hate them, or put an end to them by depriving them of food, because sadvipras are humanists. The pandits, puffed up with vainglory, could turn their attention to their books instead of attending on the ailing [low-caste] Haridas, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu found it impossible to remain indifferent to him.5 He took Haridas in his arms and nursed him carefully, and thus showed respect to human value. When the question of social responsibility arises, however, it must be considered with great care. Irresponsible people cannot be entrusted with social responsibility, because those who shoulder social responsibility will have to lead humanity on the path of development, and correct the ways of sinners. If they themselves display an evil mentality and are sinners, it will not

5 Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in 1486 and died in 1534. Haridas became one of his most devoted disciples. –Eds. SOCIAL VALUE AND CARDINAL PRINCIPLES 359 be possible for them to discharge their social responsibility. It has been said: “The collective body of those who are engaged in the concerted effort to bridge the gap between the first expression of morality and establishment in universal humanism is called ‘society’.”6 So social responsibility should be entrusted to those who are capable of discharging their duties creditably. If moralism is the starting point of the journey of society, those who are at its helm must be moralists. And since society aims to establish universalism, then those people must be universalists. And if the gap between moralism and universal humanism is to be bridged, spiritual sadhana is a must, so those people must practise rigorous sadhana. Their philosophy of life must be, “Morality is the base, sadhana is the means, and life divine is the goal”. This very great responsibility must never be entrusted to those who are themselves criminals. Until such people correct themselves, they will not be given any social value, though in no way will they be deprived of human value. At present social value is given importance, but those who are selected to discharge social responsibilities do not possess the aforesaid qualities. They have occupied their posts on the strength of their money or on the basis of patronage, but this has not resulted in any benefit to society. That is why there is an instruction in our social scripture: “Do not be misled by anyone’s tall talk. Judge merit by seeing the performance. Remember, whatever position one is in offers sufficient opportunity to work. One whose character is not in accordance with Yama-Niyama7 should not get the opportunity [to become] a representative... Rather than support an incompetent person,

6 See “Moralism” in Volume 1. –Eds. 7 Yama and Niyama are the cardinal principles of human morality. See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

360 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 it is better not to exercise one’s franchise because to [vest] an incompetent person with power means to push society towards destruction knowingly and deliberately.”8 Sadvipras will install qualified persons in power, and the social order that will evolve by virtue of their leadership will give due importance to one and all. In this new society based on Neohumanism,9 everyone will find their life worth living. All will regain their lost positions of honour.

March 1970 A Few Problems Solved Part 2

8 See point 27 in “Society”, Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Part 2, 1956, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. The quote here is from the Fifth English Edition, 1998. –Eds. 9 Neohumanism is similar in meaning to universal humanism, which is the term used earlier in this section in the definition of society. See also The Liberation of Intellect: Neohumanism, 1982. –Eds.

DEPRIVATION OF PRÁÒA DHARMA

The words práòa dharma mean “the cardinal characteristics of a person which differentiate one person from another”. Just as each human being has his or her own traits, an entire race living within a particular geographical, historical and cultural environment will also inhere some traits which distinguish that particular race from others. These traits or specialities are inseparably embedded in the internal behaviour of the entire population. They help to form a particular bent of mind, expression of external behaviour and attitude towards life and society, and, on the whole, a particular outlook. If we look at the racial stocks of the world, the following fact becomes evident: in their approach to life, different races invariably differ from one another. This variation is less external and more internal. The gradual development of internal discipline springs directly from their mode of living and education. This internal discipline is known as práòa dharma. To be more clear, when the vital expression of a race manifests along a particular course, that course of manifestation is known as práòa dharma. The people of India have been inhering their own práòa dharma from time immemorial. They are basically subjective in their approach to life and the world. By nature they are parabhimukhi – they ascribe Godhood to every action, thought and expression – from the very inception of childhood. The reason for this is very clear. In ancient India, at the age of five, a child was sent to the residence of a guru till the age of twenty-five to learn. He used to learn mainly paravidyá [spiritual knowledge] and some aparavidyá [mundane 362 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 knowledge] from the guru. After the completion of student life, he could return to garhasta dharma [family life]. In garhasta dharma he used to cultivate both paravidyá and aparavidyá. After reaching fifty years of age, he used to leave garhasta dharma and entered into vánaprastha [hermitage life] where he used to cultivate only paravidyá. This is the reason people developed a subjective approach to life. This subjective approach to life became the práòa dharma of the people of India. We find that in India, even when a notorious robber sets out to commit a crime, he takes the name of Mother Kali. In the education system of India the cultivation of paravidyá was primary, and this instilled in the students a high standard of behaviour, reverence and modesty. Now, the best way to create enmity in a person or a race is to deprive the person or the race of the freedom to cultivate their práòa dharma and to prevent them from channelizing their potentiality accordingly. For example, the best way to create enmity in a bird is to put it in a cage so that it will become a biped animal. The long confinement in the cage, which is against the práòa dharma of the bird, will deprive it of the capacity to fly. Capitalism and communism are both ultravires to the práòa dharma of the people of the world. Prout wants to maintain the integrity of the práòa dharma of each and every race. Capitalism, by its hydra-headed 1 greed for economic exploitation, has made human beings slaves to circumstances beyond their control. In India capitalism has sucked dry the vital energy of the people, rendering them poverty-stricken. Similarly, communism has gone against the vital life surge of the people of India. Communists mouth enchanting, hollow

1 Hydra was a mythical, many-headed serpent slain by Hercules. It grew two heads in place of each one that was cut off unless the wound was cauterized. –Eds.

DEPRIVATION OF PRÁÒA DHARMA 363 slogans, and are trying to push the entire race down the path of animality, where cardinal human values are non-existent. The English were cunning enough to understand the práòa dharma of the people of India, and they deprived them of the freedom to express it. The British wanted to bring the entire Indian race under their colonial grip, to make the Indian people slaves. They discovered that the best and subtlest way to do this was to deny the people of India the scope to cultivate and express their práòa dharma. They reformed the old education system of India and bluntly introduced the English system of education.2 The English education system was contrary to that of India, because it was based on an objective approach and the complete denial of a subjective approach. The British, masters of the Indian “slaves”, educated the subjugated Indian race along the lines of their own education system, and produced a peculiar group of people who were neither Indian nor civilian nor serviceable. These so-called educated people of India were a complete departure from the masses of India in their habits, behaviour, thoughts, modesty and personal integrity. That is why a gulf of difference developed between the so-called educated people and the village people of India. By applying these subtle tactics, a group of people in India became European in attitude although they were Indian in colour, and this group were instrumental in perpetuating the British Raj [Empire] in India.3 The British applied the same tactics in China. The Chinese people, before the Kuomintang regime,4 were labourious and

2 With the passing of the English Education Act, 1835, English was used in education and to promote English literature and science. –Eds. 3 The Indian Civil Service was the elite civil service of the British Empire between 1858 and 1947. It was never more than 1,200 in number, but it ruled over some 300 million people. At first the top 1,000 members of the ICS, known as “Civilians”, were British, but by 1905 5% were from Bengal and by 1947 there were approximately 322 Indian and 688 British members. –Eds. 4 The Kuomintang ruled China from 1927 to 1948. –Eds. 364 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 dexterous as well as religious. But by introducing opium,5 the British made the entire Chinese race inactive and indolent. Afterwards the communists, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, killed the religion of the Chinese people6 and deprived them of their práòa dharma. In this way the British and the communists brought the entire Chinese race under their grip. Prout does not want to turn the hands of the clock back. Prout does not reject the western education system; but at the same time the western education system utterly failed to inculcate a sense of morality and reverence and a high standard of behaviour among students. That is why in our system of education we stress the need to start ashramic schools in every village of India. If this is done, the corrosive tendency introduced by the British can be checked at an early stage. In the post-independence period of India, the leaders and the educators could not understand deeply the crisis in the Indian education system. This crisis is largely due to the defective British education system, which was fundamentally against the práòa dharma of the Indian people. All the attempts to reform the education system proved futile and led the nation towards further degradation. India’s educators could not reform the education system according to the práòa dharma of the Indian people. Our school curriculum is based on the práòa dharma of the people of India. Furthermore, it strengthens the people in their práòa dharma. Prout is of the opinion that the different races will assimilate Prout philosophy according to their own práòa dharma. There is a great deal of scope for adjustment. Svadharme

5 China fought the First Opium War with the British from 1839 to 1842 and the Second Opium War from 1856 to 1860. –Eds. 6 The communists came to power in China in 1949. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) through the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, attempted to destroy all the religions in China, including Taoism and Confucianism. –Eds. DEPRIVATION OF PRÁÒA DHARMA 365 nidhanaîshreyah paradharma bhayabahah. [It is better to die pursuing one’s práòa dharma than to invite disaster by following adharma.] During the Muslim period in India, 7 social mortification increased in the fabric of Indian society. But the Muslims could not deprive the people of India of their práòa dharma. But during the British regime,8 the people were deprived of their práòa dharma in both the social and spiritual spheres. Some so-called western-educated people even now look down upon villagers for their simplicity and naivety. These so-called educated people were directed away from their práòa dharma because a subjective approach is denied in the western education system. That is why such people have failed to become one with the masses. Prout equips human beings with their own práòa dharma, and thereby strengthens their capacity to march along the path of progress.9

March 1970

7 The Muslim period lasted from 1193 to 1857, and included both the Pathan period and the Mughal Empire. –Eds. 8 British rule lasted from 1757 to 1947. –Eds. 9 See also “Práòa Dharma”. –Eds.

BASIC DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDE BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST

Though the human society is one and indivisible, there are still certain differences in the attitudes to life and the world between the East and the West. Both have their distinct mentalities. The East is predominantly subjective in outlook whereas the West has a mainly objective bent of mind. The East, all along, has maintained a subjective approach, whereas western countries put great stress on objective development. Too much emphasis on either one of these approaches is not conducive to the all-round growth of society. We can hope to build up an ideal society only on the basis of a happy adjustment between the subjective and the objective approaches. Here is the greatness of Ananda Marga ideology. The East is essentially spiritual in outlook. However, some philosophies have distorted spirituality to such an extent that they regard the world as an illusion. Indian monists emphatically declare, Brahma satyaîjaganmithyá. [“Brahma is the only truth; the world is an illusion.”] Human life is like a drop of water on a lotus leaf, therefore it is futile to strive for the development of the material world. Such philosophies advise átmanam viddhi [“know thyself”]. All the religions of the East have clearly instructed their followers to try and accept the path of shreya [blissful spiritual union] only, to the utter exclusion of preya [sensory pleasure]. It may be that this sort of philosophy is not logically incorrect, but in practice this type of extreme idealism preaches that the world should be ignored. The individual human being may develop conscience, morality, renunciation, etc., and may reach the height of spirituality, but DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EAST AND WEST 367 the society as a whole will not progress thereby. The maximum development of society will be reached when there is balanced development in the physical, mental and spiritual spheres. The Asian countries, in spite of their long heritage of morality and spirituality, have been subjected to great humiliation during periods of foreign invasion. While the higher knowledge of philosophy propagated by the oriental sages and saints has been accepted as a unique contribution to the storehouse of human culture and civilization, the people of these lands could not resist the foreign invaders. The history of all the Asian countries, a region of so many religions, has been dominated by foreign powers for centuries together. This imbalance brought about their material deprivation and political subjugation. On the other hand, the West is completely obsessed with physical development. It has made spectacular progress in the fields of politics, economics, science, warfare, etc. In fact, it has made so much material progress that it seems to be the sovereign master of the water, land and air. But for all that, the people of the West are not content socially and totally lack spiritual wealth. Unlike the East, plenty of wealth has created a crisis. Therefore it is abundantly clear that no country can progress harmoniously with only one-sided development. Therefore it behoves both the East and the West to accept a synthetic ideology that stands for a happy synthesis of the two. In this regard the East can help the West spiritually, whereas the materialistic West can extend its material help to the East. Both will be mutually benefited if they accept this golden policy of give and take: Dive ar nive miláve milive. [We are bound to give and take and share with each other.]1

1 The policy of give and take generally refers to the negotiated settlement of an issue whereby those involved reach an agreement with each other by giving up something that was wanted and agreeing to some of the things wanted by the other party or parties. By saying “golden policy of give and take”, the author appears to be 368 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

In the education system of the East, there is the predominant element of spirituality. Oriental students used to go to their guru’s house at the age of five and live there up to twenty-five years of age. They led a strictly ethical and spiritual life. They were taught mainly paravidyá [spiritual knowledge] and some aparavidyá [mundane knowledge]. Next, in their domestic life, they cultivated aparavidyá and paravidyá up to fifty years of age, and in the last quarter of their life they cultivated paravidyá exclusively. So the people of the orient could not but be spiritual in their thoughts and actions. In the western system of education, on the other hand, there is a clear and unilateral emphasis on aparavidyá. So to build up an ideal human society in the future, a balanced emphasis on the two is a prerequisite. We should remember that morality, spirituality and humanity, and a happy blending of occidental extroversial science and oriental introversial philosophy, are the very foundation of our system of education. Unlike Rudyard Kipling, who wrongly observed that “East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,”2 Ananda Marga believes in one universal society with one ideology, one Cosmic goal.

March 1970

drawing a parallel with the Golden Rule, or ethic of reciprocity, which states: “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.” –Eds. 2 These are the opening words of Kipling’s poem “The Ballad of East and West”. The poem concludes with the following two lines: “But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong men stand face to face, tho' they come from the ends of the earth.” While Kipling recognized the type of friendship that transcends geography (“neither East nor West”), nationality (“Border), race (“Breed”) and family (“Birth”) and that in certain circumstances Asians and Europeans are equals, he did not, unlike the author in the following lines, advocate “one universal society with one ideology, one Cosmic goal”. –Eds.

UNIVERSALITY IN RACE, LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND CULTURE

The subject matter for today’s discourse is “Universality in Race, Language, Religion and Culture”. Though there are some apparent or prima facie differences in language, colour, etc., in human beings, in all essential matters they come from the same source: they originate from One Singular Entity, Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. There may be linguistic differences, colour differences, national differences, but all these are external and apparent. It is the language of the heart, the language of sentiment, and not the language of the tongue, that should be heard. No language can claim to be an original language – neither English nor Telegu nor Bengali. The English language is not an original language. 900 years ago there was no English language, 1,500 years ago there was no Bengali language, and 800 years ago there were no Angika, Maethili and Assamese languages. Modern English is a mixture of the Scotch tongue, the Old Norman tongue, the Anglo-Saxon tongue, the Briton tongue, the Celt tongue, and the Latin and Greek tongues. All these tongues gave birth to the modern English tongue. Till the days of King Alfred the Great,1 there was no approved standard of English vocabulary. Similarly, the Bengali language consists of Sanskrit roots and words, and a large number of English, Japanese, Portuguese, [Persian] and Arabic words.2 Again, the

1 Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. –Eds. 2 Of the approximately 125,000 words in the Bengali vocabulary, about 115,000 are of Sanskrit origin and about 10,000 are of mostly English, Japanese, Portuguese, Persian and Arabic origin. –Eds. 370 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Telegu language is composed of Cantonese, Indonesian and Malaysian words and a number of Sanskrit words. Similarly, no race can claim that its blood is absolutely pure. Hitler’s claim about the purity of Aryan blood was intended to mislead the people. In Europe alone there are many races, such as the Nordic, Mediterranean, Alpine and Greek races. In India there are the Austrics, Austrico-Negroids, [i.e.,] Dravidians, Monglo-Negroids, and the like. Therefore no race is absolutely free from blending. Everywhere there is universal blending. Nowhere in the world will you find a single, original race and language. Human society is a singular entity. All the merits and demerits of the society are ours. They are our common patrimony. It is foolishness to claim that the merits are ours and the demerits are someone else’s. In this universe all entities are divine; people only have to realize it. Nobody is helpless or alone in this universe. We have a mundane, supramundane and spiritual relationship with the universe. So it is the bounden duty of human beings to expand their mental arena, because fundamentally all finite entities have the inherent wont of universal pervasiveness – their goal being the Supreme Entity, free from limitations. Human beings will have to expand themselves to such an extent that they will go beyond the fetters of limitation. There cannot be and should not be inferiority or superiority complexes in anybody. Those who preach individual or racial superiority are committing a sin. They are going against human dharma. Like earth, air and water, dharma is common to one and all, and they will have to become one with the Universal Entity.

RACE, LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND CULTURE 371

The famous American poet Carl Sandburg has proclaimed:

“There is only one man in the world and his name is All Men. There is only one woman in the world and her name is All Women. There is only one child in the world and the child’s name is All Children.”3

The same thing has been said more beautifully by the Asian poet Satyendranath Dutta:

Jagat juóiyáek játi ache Se játir nám mánuïa játi Eki prthiviir stanye pálita Eki ravi-shashii moder sáthii.4

[There is only race in the world, And that is the human race, Nourished with the milk of the same Mother Earth, Dwelling within the same compass of the sun and the moon.]

March 1970

3 Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) displayed a handwriting copy of this poem in a creative photography exhibition called The Family of Man, held in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, from 26 January to 8 May 1955. The poem was also included in the prologue he wrote for the event. –Eds. 4 For the complete poem, see “The Practice of Art and Literature” in Volume 1. – Eds.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CARYÁCARYA IN INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL LIFE

Human beings are neither isolated, individual beings nor insignificant creatures destined to serve an abstract collectivity. Rather each person is an individual self, living in a dynamic social order that is progressing towards a sublime goal. Each individual has to keep himself or herself physically and mentally pure and serve the society in the best possible manner. The collection of the psychic momenta of the members of a society makes the collective momentum of the social order strong and powerful. Hence, as an individual, one must be able to manifest and express a powerful psychic momentum. On the other hand society must not impose any restrictions on the psychic and spiritual elevation of its members, nor should it allow anyone to accumulate physical wealth to the point that it is harmful to the other members of society and leads to exploitation. Caryácarya1 contains the guidelines on how an individual can best contribute to the collective momentum. It also contains guidelines on how the collective body shall foster each individual’s welfare, physically and psychically. Human life is an ideological flow. The human mind expresses this flow, and the physical body is the base and medium through which this flow is manifested. A pure and subtle physical body, or annamaya koïa, is the best medium for a subtle psycho-spiritual manifestation.

1 See Ánanda Márga Caryácarya Parts 1-3, 1956, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

CARYÁCARYA IN INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL LIFE 373

The purity of the annamaya koïa depends upon the food we take and following rules to do with vyápaka shaoca [bathing], upavása [fasting], etc. These rules have been explicitly mentioned in Caryácarya. If a person follows these rules, he or she shall feel a change in himself or herself within three days.

March 1970

THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN

Human beings are social beings, hence they have to follow certain social codes. But they must also follow some spiritual codes as well. Because of [misunderstanding] or some other reason, if people go against these codes, these dos and don’ts, in some places we call it pápa [a “sin”, a “vice”] and in others aparádha [a “crime”]. If the violation is in the spiritual code or rather the religious code, it is termed a “sin”. If the violation is against the legal code, it is known as a “crime”. Sometimes sin is not based entirely on cardinal human values but on dogmas. Wise people will keep away from a concept of sin that is based on religious dogma. They will use their discrimination to judge the correctness of a code as per cardinal human values. Conceptions of sin have been given by people on the basis of religion, religious dogmas and cardinal human values. As intellectuals and developed human beings of the second half of the twentieth century, we should keep away from religious dogma and attach the highest importance to cardinal human values. Actually sin is that which is against cardinal human values. Furthermore, regarding sin, long ago Vyása [who wrote eighteen Puráòas] stated:

Aïíádasha puráòeïu Vyásasya vácanádvayam; Paropakárah puòyáya pápáya parapiidánam.

[Out of the eighteen Puráòas (mythological texts), only two sayings of Vyása are of the essence: puòya (virtue) means doing good to others, and pápa (vice) means doing harm to others.]

That action which checks the progress of the society is pápa, and that action which accelerates social progress is puòya. This THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN 375 is a fact. But what is crime? Any action which goes against the different codes made by different nations, as per their spatial, personal and collective differences, is a crime. In Sanskrit crime is known as aparádha. Pápa, or sin, has to be based on cardinal human values. This was also supported by Vyása. Regarding criminal codes, it is important to mention that they are generally framed by political people, who frame them according to their own standards. Sometimes they include a tinge of humanity and sometimes not. Therefore legal codes are not necessarily humanitarian. Rational people may go against a legal code but they will not go against cardinal human values. I can never tell a person in a particular country to follow their legal codes blindly. But I must tell you not to go against cardinal human values. There is one thing more. Cardinal human values are the silver lining between the psycho-spiritual world and the spiritual world – just between these two strata. On the one side is the spiritual stratum and on the other is the psycho-spiritual stratum. The word for “sin” in English has two words in Sanskrit: pápa and pratyaváya. That which is to be done but is not done is known as pratyaváya, and that which is not to be done but is done is pápa. The combined name of pratyaváya and pápa is pataka. Here I will use the word pápa because it is more popular. Wherever we mention cardinal human values, we are not referring to any religious codes because they are based on religious dogmas. Why should the people of the second half of the twentieth century follow them? I advise you not to follow them but to revolt. As far as possible there should be the least gap between pápa and aparádha. The less the gap, the better it is. Cardinal human values are mostly unchangeable. There may be some change after a long time as they remain associated with the physical 376 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 world, but it is natural that they will not change frequently because of the subjective approach therein. But in the case of crime, there will be changes as per the changes in time, space and the collective body. Hence both conceptions cannot be exactly the same; there will be some differences between them. But efforts should be made to lessen the differences. Hence it is the duty of sadvipras to make efforts to lessen the differences between the two.

The Causes of Sin

Now, let us come to the three causes of sin. If sin and crime are considered together, there are three reasons for them. The first cause is shortage of physical and psychic pabula. The second one is non-utilization of over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula. The third one is stagnancy in the psychic and physical strata. The first cause: Let us take the first one. If there is a lack of the physical necessities needed by human beings, they will not be able to follow the higher pursuits of life. You will find that a person’s sense of discrimination is disturbed if he or she falls into only a little difficulty. After becoming a little angry, an intellectual may even utter insentient words. Hence, due to shortages of physical wealth, which result in restlessness and cause a loss of their sense of discrimination, people naturally tend towards brutality. This is the reason why communism has tended towards brutality. The psychic reason is only this. Likewise, if there is a dearth of intellectual pabulum and the intellectual standard of the people is not high, they may take dos to be don’ts and vice versa. An example can be found in a communal riot, where a little innocent boy is also killed, and the person who encouraged the riot becomes the people’s leader. Because the intellectual standard of the people is low, THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN 377 prompted by such leaders they commit blunders and become beasts. In those countries which are backward or where the socio- politico-economic consciousness is less developed, immoral political pigs in the form of leaders misguide the people in order to collect votes. I say they are political satans, political pigs. Such pigs become leaders only when the intellectual standard of the common people is low. Ultimately, the country is destroyed. Hence, because of shortages of physical and intellectual pabula, people become beasts and commit sins and crimes. To murder a person during a riot is a crime and a sin at the same time. In political fights, innocent people are killed; this is also a crime as well as a sin. The reason is that shortages of physical and intellectual pabula cause people to become beasts and commit sins and crimes. Among the three reasons for sin, this is the first and primary one. It is common everywhere in the entire world, except for a few well-off countries. But even in these well-off countries, the cause is there, but less prominently. The second cause: The second cause is non-utilization of over-accumulated physical and psychic pabula. Where there is over accumulation of physical wealth by people, a couple of problems occur. Human needs are not many – primarily people need ‘full-belly’ meals and clothes according to their necessity. People do even want many things. It is a mental disease to accumulate money. The accumulators do not accumulate to fulfil their needs, because human needs are few. For instance, if a man has a mango grove which yields 500 mangoes and the number of his family members is only five, what will he do with so many mangoes? In cases of over accumulation, there is very little chance of utilization. Hence, if sadvipras are not vigilant, where there is over accumulation there will be non-utilization. 378 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Moreover, where there is over accumulation, people tend to misutilize wealth by indulging their base propensities rather than expressing their subtler ones. Therefore you will mark, as I am making it crystal clear to you, that the wealthy businessmen, most of the kings of ancient times, and the nawabs and aristocrats who had nothing to do, I tell you, were generally wicked and mean-minded. Moreover you will notice that senior government officers who do not have psychic and spiritual interests also become mean-minded. Whenever we are to judge, we must do so frankly. Hence it is natural for people to move towards sin if there is over accumulation of physical and psychic pabula. The same is the case with over-accumulated psychic pabulum which is not utilized. If people have much intellect and it is not properly directed and there is no administration of the sadvipras, people become polished satans and become the cause of damage to others. For instance, if the parents of [an intelligent] boy die and he has no guardian, the boy will most likely become reckless and a sinner. This is the second reason people become sinners. I have already talked about the haves and the have-nots. To satisfy the greed of the haves, the have-nots become sinners. They become slaves and sinners to appease their own hunger, while the haves misutilize their intellectual and physical wealth to satisfy their base propensities. In the background are the big capitalists; in the foreground, as their agents, are half-naked children! This is the cause of the downfall of society. There is still one more thing. There are countries in the world where people’s average standard of living is quite good and where there are no have-nots who become slaves due to the evil designs of the haves. Where there is excessive wealth, the feeling of “What should I do with my wealth?” crops up in people’s minds. Moreover, people adopt a suicidal path in the absence of proper direction. They will take to addictions and THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN 379 become hippies. They go into a negative state of mind. They do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. The third cause: Let us now come to the third reason for sin. The sign of life, of the existence of everything in this universe, is dynamism. In an earlier meeting1 it was said that pragati [progress] does not actually take place in the physical and psychic strata. Progress takes place only in the spiritual stratum. Of course there is no progress in the physico-psychic sphere, but there is movement. Had there been no movement, the physico-psychic world would have been doomed. Hence there is movement but no progress. Pragati is defined as Prakrsta gati ityartha pragati. [The meaning of pragati is “movement which leads to advancement”.] That which leads to betterment is progress, but that which causes movement but does not cause development is not progress. For example, suppose one bull walks along a road and another walks around an oil-grinding mill. The former is able to cover a distance of a few miles but the latter moves without going anywhere.

Sana mare kya hua jo gayiina mankii as; Jyon kolhu' ke buel ko ghar hi kos pacas.

[What is the benefit of performing ásanas (physical postures) if the desires of the mind are not exhausted?]

In the physical and psychic worlds there can be movement but no progress. 10,000 years ago people practised sadhana and attained Brahma [the Supreme Entity]. After these 10,000 years, you have been born. Today there is much dynamism in the physical sphere. The intellectual speed is great. Your

1 See “The Human Search for Real Progress”. –Eds.

380 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 intellect may be more developed than that of Vashiïía2 and Vishvámitra, but your progress is not much greater. Is it clear? Where there is no movement in the physical and psychic spheres, therein also is the cause of sin – the third reason. In this case there might not be the over accumulation of physical and psychic pabula. In the absence of over accumulation, sin also may be accounted for. Every existence has a purpose. All are moving according to their own speed, whether there is progress or not. But along the way if something comes up which has no movement or which lacks movement and it remains as it is, it tells on the speed of others. What happens in society is that because of old dogmas, weaknesses and lack of proper education – actually improper education – when the human mind becomes inert and dormant and loses its strength to move forward, it not only destroys itself but also affects the movement of others. “My forefathers were doing this; how am I to forgo them?” This is nothing but the same stagnancy. The forefathers, who used to wear dhotis [men’s lower-body garments] above their knees and napkins tied around their heads, were moving. Why do you then wear pants and shirts made of Terylene? Nobody follows their forefathers. It is a sign of weakness for a person to take the cover of their forefathers and nothing else. Mental stagnancy is a kind of disease. It amounts to motionlessness. People should not be allowed to rely on the dogmas of their forefathers, because they are blocking mental development and obstructing others. Suppose a bullock cart is in front of a car and blocking the road. The bullock cart cannot be allowed to remain standing where it is because it is inconvenient for the car. The cart has to be moved to one side. If it does not move aside, you will have to push it aside. You will have to go ahead; this is the law. It will not do for you to say, “Let the cart

2 Vashiïía lived about 5,000 years ago. –Eds. THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN 381 remain as it is.” Similarly, to say, “The members of my family hold traditional views” is not to be allowed. People who hold traditional views are really materialists and mentally stagnant. Speed has to be infused in them. And not only this will do; there is need for acceleration in the speed.

The Solutions

What is the solution for the first cause of the three causes of sin? For those who lack physical pabulum, the minimum requirements will have to be guaranteed, otherwise they will become sinners. To save the masses from sin, the minimum requirements will have to be given to them. If you do not supply people with the minimum requirements, you will meet your Waterloo. If your neighbour’s house is on fire, your house will also catch fire. To supply the minimum requirements to everyone, both a strong administration and an intellectual approach are necessary. Those capable of doing this will be called sadvipras. In the absence of sadvipras, society cannot survive. Regarding the solution for the second cause of the three causes, here also an intellectual approach, intellectual pracar [propagation], is required. And for its materialization, physical force will have to be utilized as per necessity. Those who take both the proper physical and the proper intellectual approach will be sadvipras. Without sadvipras, society will not survive. At one place, because of over accumulation, things become rotten; and at another place, because of shortages, people become sinners. We cannot allow this to continue. The third cause is stagnancy. This is the greatest burden for human society. It is the greatest disease. It is a psychic disease. People say, “Our forefathers used to do it.” But you are not your forefathers. You must be yourself. Suppose the son of one Shrii Simhansana is Shrii Ramadhara. If Shrii Ramadhara 382 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Singh says he must do as his father does, does he become his father, Shrii Simhansana? No, he does not. This sort of stagnancy is suicidal, because the sign of life is dynamism. Where there is no dynamism, there is death. Without dynamism people harm themselves and others.

Bhayánáî bhayaî bhiiïaòaî bhiiïaòánáî; Gatih práòináî pávanaî pávanánám. Mahoccaeh padánáî niyantr tadekaî; Paresháî paraî rakïakaî rakïakánám.

[You are the fear of fear, You are the most frightening to the dreadful, You are the very movement of all living entities. You are the purity of purity. You are the Supreme Controller of all the controllers occupying exalted posts. You are the highest authority of all high authorities. You are the protector of protectors.]

Just as dynamism is precious for jiivas [living beings], so is Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] also precious for them. A doctor feels the pulse of a patient and ascertains that it is moving. In the absence of movement of the pulse, the patient is pronounced dead. Movement is life. To solve this cause of sin, the intellectual approach does not work. Dogmatic-minded people, traditional people, are neither human beings nor animals. They do not listen to reason. They have to be struck, and those who do the striking are sadvipras. The striking is to be done with a hammer. Sweet gospels will not do. They are to be hit – not with a hammer, but with a sledgehammer. Suppose the sadvipras do not hammer them, what will happen? Because of their unnecessary presence, the speed of others is retarded. These stagnant people commit suicide3 and become the cause of death for others. Sadvipras will not leave

3 I.e., metaphorically. –Eds. THE THREE CAUSES OF SIN 383 such people alone or forgive them. With an iron hand they will set them on the right path. They cannot be checked by the sanguine eyes of the administration, or by the gift of the jobs of so-called intellectuals, or by the arms of the military. Humanity wants to move ahead, but these stagnant people, who are neither human beings nor animals, have blocked the path of the sadvipras and obstructed their movement. The common masses will not tolerate those obstructions. This suicide is not done by [stagnant] people deliberately. Those who commit suicide do so when their mind is in a negative state. It is unnatural. Therefore sadvipras will remove the unnaturalness [from stagnant people] with the blows of their hammers. No one can check it. The duty of the sadvipras will be at the appropriate moment to hammer these stagnant people, who are a burden to society and motionless in their physico-psychic sphere, so that the path of human progress can become straight, well-built and clear. When will the three causes of sin be removed? Only when the sadvipras will be ready to fight against them with an iron hand. Today, at this hour, it is my call to the sadvipras of the world to not delay any longer. They should march ahead and save humanity, and make the path of humanity free of thorns. Shubhamastu. [May it be auspicious.]

30 May 1970, RU, Muzaffarpur

SADVIPRA BOARDS

On several occasions I have said that sadvipras are those who follow Yama and Niyama, the principles of spiritual morality, 1 and are devoted to the Supreme Consciousness. People will recognize sadvipras by their exemplary conduct, selfless service, dutifulness and moral integrity. Only sadvipras can serve all humanity selflessly and lead others along the path of all-round advancement. Those sadvipras, those people who follow a correct philosophy of life and practise a correct system of sadhana, are the future leaders of society. Today democracy is the most preferred system of government throughout the world, but it is not an ideal system because it is full of loopholes. Intelligent people have already started working to overcome these shortcomings. In the present world Prout supports restricted democracy,2 because in the future a better system of government will evolve. What is that better system of government? According to Prout, the rule of sadvipras is the ideal form of leadership. The establishment of sadvipra leadership will require the systematic and rational application of Prout by the collective effort of many highly-intelligent people. Sadvipra rule cannot be established by blind physical force or mere intellectual extravaganza. Sadvipras will fight ceaselessly against all forms of corruption and exploitation; they will wage a never-ending struggle against immorality and fissiparous tendencies. The

1 See “The Place of Sadvipras in the Samája Cakra” in Volume 1, or A Guide to Human Conduct, 1957, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. 2 See “Problems of the Day”, section 33, in Volume 1, and “Dialectical Materialism and Democracy”. –Eds.

SADVIPRA BOARDS 385 greatest hope for the establishment of peace and human progress lies in the collective endeavours of the sadvipras. Democracy cannot solve human problems, because in a democracy one class gets the scope to dominate society while the other classes are deprived of their freedom. To ensure the all-round welfare of society, the benevolent dictatorship of the sadvipras is an absolute necessity. Sadvipras alone can represent the genuine aspirations of the people. What form will the benevolent dictatorship of the sadvipras take? Prout supports the centralization of political power and the decentralization of economic power, but the centralization of political power does not mean that power will be centralized in one person or institution. The sadvipras shall elect and form several boards consisting of persons who are conversant with and have experience in the respective branch of the administration. These boards will include the following: 1. The Supreme Board of Sadvipras. The Supreme Board of Sadvipras shall be an elected body consisting of sadvipras. It shall be the supreme body for framing policy and supervising the functions of the other Boards [of Sadvipras]. 2. The Legislative Board of Sadvipras. The Legislative Board of Sadvipras shall be elected by sadvipras and shall consist of those sadvipras who are experienced in the functioning of the legislature. It shall frame laws according to the principles of Prout and the policies laid down by the Supreme Board of Sadvipras. 3. The Executive Board of Sadvipras. The Executive Board of Sadvipras shall be elected by sadvipras and shall consist of those sadvipras who are experienced in the work of administration. It shall be responsible for the materialization of the policies and laws framed by the Legislative Board of Sadvipras. It shall supervise the work of the selected or nominated personnel who form the 386 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 entire system of the bureaucracy. It shall also supervise the work of the various sub-boards established [in the executive branch] for the different branches of the administration.3 4. The Judicial Board of Sadvipras. The Judicial Board of Sadvipras shall be elected by sadvipras and shall consist of those sadvipras who are experienced in the judicial branch. It shall frame the rules and procedures for the appointment of judges and the different personnel of the judiciary.4 5. Sub-boards of Sadvipras for the various branches of the administration. Sub-boards of Sadvipras shall be appointed by [the Boards of] Sadvipras and shall consist of those sadvipras who are experts in the respective branch of the administration. The list of names for the representatives of the Sub-boards [of Sadvipras for the executive branch] shall be prepared by the Executive Board of Sadvipras and forwarded to the Legislative Board of Sadvipras. The Legislative Board of Sadvipras shall recommend the list, after amendments if necessary, to the Supreme Board of Sadvipras. The Supreme Board of Sadvipras shall finally approve the list. However, if the Supreme Board of Sadvipras does not approve the list, it shall send the list back to the Legislative Board of Sadvipras, with amendments if necessary. In this case the Legislative Board of Sadvipras shall either accept the amendments and send the list back to the Supreme Board of Sadvipras or send its own opinion again to

3 See also the passage starting “The best form of government…” in “Discourses on Prout”, section 5, in Volume 1. –Eds. 4 The author also advocates expanding the branches of government from three – the legislature, executive and judiciary – to four, to include the audit branch. Each branch is to be separate and independent. See “The Future of Democracy”. In the future, therefore, it is likely sadvipras will create a Board of Sadvipras to administer the work of the audit branch of government as well. Such a board would be formed in the same way as the Boards of Sadvipras are to be formed for the legislature, executive and judiciary. –Eds. SADVIPRA BOARDS 387 the Supreme Board of Sadvipras. The Supreme Board of Sadvipras shall be the final authority, so it will make the final decision concerning the appointment of the members of the sub-boards.5

June 1970, Ranchi

5 The Boards of Sadvipras for the legislative, judicial and audit branches of government would also form their respective sub-boards by following a similar process, submitting their list of names to the Supreme Board of Sadvipras for consideration and for final approval. –Eds.

LEARNED AND EDUCATED

We can only call people “learned” if they have read a lot, understood what they have read, remembered it, and acted on what they have read, understood and remembered. Educated and learned people may or may not be illiterate, and literate people may or may not be educated. To be learned in the real sense, all four factors are necessary. A person is not learned if one of these factors is missing. The following examples illustrate this. First, it is necessary to read a lot. Limited reading or reading about only one subject will not suffice. It is necessary to read many books. We would not call a person who reads only a little learned. Secondly, it is necessary to read a lot and to understand what one reads. Anybody who reads a lot but does not understand what he or she reads cannot be called learned. Thirdly, whatever one has read and understood should also be remembered. If one does not remember, one cannot be called learned. If you were to ask a man who had previously passed his M.Sc. to appear now for the matriculation examination, he would be unable to pass, as he has forgotten everything. Fourthly, reading, understanding and remembering should go together and they should be acted upon. If a lawyer were to do the work of a clerk, he or she would not be called learned. He or she should do only paralegal work. If an advocate does not practise his or her profession, he or she will forget the law. In that case how can he or she be called learned? Only one who possesses all the above four attributes can be called learned. Only such a person is educated. LEARNED AND EDUCATED 389

How many ways of reading are there? There are three ways of reading. First, there is reading using the eyes. Then there is reading by hearing. In olden times large numbers of people were illiterate but they learned many things through hearing. Today you may still find some old people who do not know how to read or write, but who know the Rámáyaòa and the Mahábhárata very well. Thirdly, there is reading by mudrá [gesture]. A blind person can learn about something by touching it. This is called the “tactual method”. If a man is standing far away and you need to tell him something, you can employ a mudrá to call him nearer – you can make him understand without speaking. The deaf and dumb use the mudrá method. If one indriya [sense organ] ceases to work, the others become more sensitive. For example, there are five sense organs. Suppose every sense organ has a power of 20%. If any one of the sense organs ceases to function, the power of that organ will be shared among the remaining organs. In other words, the remaining sense organs will each have 25% of power. A deaf man is able to understand everything by watching people’s eyes and facial expressions, and a blind man by hearing, smelling and touching. The fine arts came into existence through the medium of mudrá. Lord Shiva is the creator of the fine arts. Mudrá is the externalization of internal feeling, and means “to express the desires of the mind”.

Satsauôgena bhavenmuktirasatsauôgeïu bandhanam; Asatsauôgamudraòaî sá mudrá parikiirttitá.

[Bad company leads to bondage; good company leads to liberation. Having understood this supreme truth, one should avoid bad company. The shunning of bad company is called mudrá sádhaná.] 390 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

To communicate ideas through gesture and posture is called mudrá. In the East we find that dance is dominated by mudrás, and in the West we find that it is dominated by rhythm. Indian folk and classical dance are also dominated by mudrás. Mudrás are more subtle than rhythm. What is saîgiita [music]? Singing, the playing of instruments and dancing, when performed together, are called saîgiita. Where there is only singing and the playing of instruments but no dance, it is called giitá. At the time of the Mahábhárata,1 what Krïòa said was called giitá [and later was written down as the book the Bhagavad Giitá] because he expressed himself verbally, he did not dance. If Krïòa had explained the nature of dharma while dancing, it would not have been called giitá, it would have been called saîgiita.

Yá Bhagavatá giitá, sá Giitá.

[That which has been sung or said by Bhagaván, the Lord, is the Giitá.]

There are six primary rágas and thirty-six primary ráginiis [classical melodies]; that is, udárá, mudárá and dárá. Today we find two types of dance in India. First, there is Áryávarta Nrtya, which South Indians call North Indian style. Secondly, there is Dákïinátya Nrtya, or Karnatak or South Indian style. Both styles were given by Lord Shiva, but credit for popularizing them goes to Maharshi Bharata. In the Vedas there is rhythm, because most of the Vedas come from outside India. Those who propagated the Vedas could not go against rhythm. They had to accept rhythm, but

1 The Mahábhárata War occurred about 3,500 years ago. –Eds.

LEARNED AND EDUCATED 391 they did not follow rules of grammar. For this reason there are many grammatical mistakes in the Vedas. In Tantra, 2 mudrás are dominant. Rhythm is guided by mudrás. In a few places the Vedas also use mudrás. For example, pindadan mudrá, which is also called aîkusha mudrá, is used at the time of shráddha [a funeral ceremony]. For pitr yajiôa [a salutation performed after bathing] special mudrás are also employed, and are known as namah mudrá, abhaya mudrá, varada mudrá, etc. These mudrás are found in the Vedas. The portion of the Vedas which was written in India is responsible for popularizing these mudrás. Instrumental music also involves the use of mudrás. In western countries only instruments such as the violin make use of mudrás. Maòipurii dance, folk dance, Cho dance and Ramvasa dance all contain a large number of mudrás. Ramvasa dance employs fewer mudrás because it is a war dance. Cho dance, which is performed in military camps at times of rest after battle, contains a larger number of mudrás. The dancer dances but does not sing. A second person sings and narrates the story through song. The táòìava nrtya [táòìava dance] of Lord Shiva is highly rhythmic, while in Párvatii’s lalita dance sweet and refined mudrás are the main form of expression. In India a person performing these dances tires quickly, because India is a hot country. Tá has been taken from táòìava and la from lalita to form the word tála [“metre”]. Tála [dance, based on metre,] is the blending of both; that is why it has become very popular.

15 June 1970, Ranchi

2 See Discourses on Tantra Volume 1, 1993, and Volume 2, 1994, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds.

HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY

While trying to bring about the development and prosperity of individuals and society, we should only encourage the common points among the different communities in society, not the points of difference. It is natural that there are social differences concerning dress, customs, cultural expressions, food habits, language, etc. But if these points of difference are given undue importance, social problems will only be aggravated, and as a result the unity and very existence of society will be jeopardized. If nothing is done to aggravate these problems, through a normal process of natural blendings the members of society will evolve common ground. So the points of difference should not be encouraged in any way. Contemporary leaders should refrain from harping on about the points of difference. Rather they should continually emphasize that this is not the appropriate time to bring up complicated divisive issues. For example, take the case of Indian languages. There are many people in India who unnecessarily fight over the issue of language. But is now the proper time to raise this issue, when there are so many people suffering from hunger, famine, disease, educational backwardness and economic distress? Can the people of India afford to waste their valuable time over the comparatively unimportant issue of language? On the contrary, they should immediately launch a campaign against exploitation, as this will keep the divisive forces under control. If this is not done, the fissiparous forces will create dissension and impediments in society, and the important, burning issues confronting the people will remain unsolved. HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 393

Points of Unity

The progress of a country depends on unity, so emphasis should be placed only on the unifying factors. To eliminate fissiparous tendencies, we will have to fight a relentless war against disunity in the following three spheres. Socio-economic sphere: While some people are enormously rich, a large percentage of the population is languishing in poverty. Naturally, to build up a strong society, socio-economic disparity must be completely eradicated. With the eradication of socio-economic disparity, the collective wealth of society will have to progressively increase. Only then can the growing demands of the population be successfully met. Let us take the example of Orissa [now Odisha]. Agricultural production, particularly in the rainy season, depends almost entirely on the monsoon. But if the irrigation system were properly developed, the total agricultural production in the state would increase 300%, and [a total of] 40 million people could be fed. Today only 15 million people are being fed with the present levels of production. Odisha is also rich in mineral resources. Abundant coal, bauxite, manganese and other minerals are readily available in the state, but many of these minerals are being exported to other countries. If these raw materials were properly utilized to manufacture finished goods at home, Odisha could establish at least four large-scale steel plants. This would substantially increase the purchasing power of the people. Unfortunately, the incompetent political leaders of the country do not think in a rational way. On the contrary, they formulate plans that neither remove socio-economic disparity nor increase collective wealth. These leaders have committed a major blunder by placing the cart before the horse. Everywhere in the world economically-deprived people can be united through a common programme of socio-economic 394 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 struggle and by fighting against cruel capitalist exploitation on the one hand, and by implementing development programmes to increase the amount of collective wealth on the other. By undertaking extensive irrigation, mining, agricultural and industrial development, the collective wealth of a country can be easily increased. Self-sufficient economic zones should be established throughout the world to smoothly eliminate social disparity and increase collective wealth. The formation of states on political grounds should be carefully avoided. In one political unit there may be several economic zones, which can live unitedly together with their respective problems. For example, the state of Bihar is a political unit, but while the Chotanagpur Hills are confronted with the problem of irrigation the plains of North Bihar are suffering from the problem of drainage. The Rayalaseema, Srikakulam and Telangana areas of Andhra are situated in the political unit of Andhra Pradesh, but their economic potentialities are quite different. 1 To derive the maximum benefit from these areas, distinct economic zones should be formed, regardless of whether or not they remain in the same political unit. It is a great mistake to form states on the basis of politics or language. If a capitalist and a labourer speaks the same language, who will think that they are friends because of their linguistic affinity? Psycho-sentimental sphere: In the psychic sphere there are certain factors that serve to unite different linguistic groups. For example, all the North Indian languages and a few South Indian languages originated and developed from Sanskrit. These languages have been greatly influenced by Sanskrit. In

1 According to the author’s socio-economic groupifications, the Chotanagpur Hills are in Nagpuri, the plains of North Bihar are predominantly in Mithila, Srikakulam is in Circar, and Rayalaseema and Telangana are distinct zones. See also “Some Specialities in Prout’s Economic System” and “Socio-Economic Groupifications” in Volume 3. In 2014 Telangana became a separate state. –Eds. HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 395 such circumstances the study of Sanskrit should not be opposed by anybody. This may appear to be a trivial matter, but if the study of Sanskrit is encouraged, it will be a powerful unifying factor in Indian society. In social traditions also some common points may be developed. The research and archaeological excavation of glorious past civilizations and great personalities will help to arouse a strong national sentiment. For example, the excavation of the Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilizations highlighted the accomplishments of ancient Indian culture. The study of history should also be encouraged. Itihása is not synonymous with the Sanskrit word itikathá, which means “history” and is the chronological record of past events. The word itihása means the part of history that has great educative value. The study of itihása, or the cultural history of a country, arouses a sense of unity among the members of society, and they become aware of their common cultural legacy. For example, the study of the historical epic, the Mahábhárata, creates a sense of pride and inspiration in the minds of the people, and this fosters the spirit of collective unity. The memory of illustrious saints and sages also binds people together with common bonds of affinity. When people cherish their past leaders and saints, it creates a strong foundation for collective unity. Spirituo-sentimental sphere: The sentiments of a common spiritual heritage and a common spiritual goal are permanent sentiments that can bind people together for all time to come. Socio-economic and psycho-sentimental approaches are extremely useful for creating social unity and cohesion, but the sentiments arising out of these approaches are temporary. Cosmic sentiments are permanent. With the inculcation of Cosmic sentiments, socio-economic unity and fraternity will be based on a strong fundament. People will think in terms of Cosmic paternity and universal fraternity. The firm conviction 396 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 that we have all come from the same Entity and we will all merge in the same Entity will generate a unique sentiment. People everywhere will feel united by the ties of universal love and friendship, which will ultimately pave the way for a universal society. The poet Satyendranath Dutta, the great universalist, has eloquently expressed this sentiment:

Ráge anuráge nidrita jáge Ásal îánuï prakaí hay; Varòe varòe náhika visheï Nikhil bhuvan Brahmamaya.

[When love awakens in sleeping souls, Then true human beings will emerge. There is no difference between one colour, one race, and another, For the entire universe is pervaded by one Infinite Consciousness.]

Wherever there is a common point among people, it should be encouraged, while the points of difference have to be discouraged and eliminated. If we are to foster unity and enhance the prosperity of the people, this must be the fundamental approach. We should always remember:

Jagat juóiyá ek játi áche Se játir nám mánuïa játi; Ek prthiviir stanye pálita Eki ravi-shashii moder sáthii.2

[There is only one race in the world, And that is the human race, Nourished with the milk of the same Mother Earth, Dwelling within the same compass of the sun and the moon.]

2 For Satyendranath Dutta’s complete poem, see “The Practice of Art and Literature” in Volume 1. –Eds.

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Points of Difference

There are conspicuous variations in four main areas of human society: food, dress, language and religion. Food: In India there are four distinct food zones where coconut oil, mustard oil, sesame oil, and vegetable oil or ghee are used. In the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh most people prefer bread, whereas in eastern and southern India people prefer rice. The food that people eat depends upon geo-physical conditions. If all the people of India were made to eat the same food regardless of the geo-physical conditions, it would be a great mistake. Dress: Similarly dress and customs also depend upon various geo-physical factors. For example, take the case of the Arabs who live in dry deserts. Hot winds and burning sands are their constant companions. Naturally they are compelled to cover their bodies from head to foot and build their houses underground, otherwise it would be next to impossible to survive. On the other hand, the people who live in North Bihar have to be careful that their clothes are not soiled by mud or dirty water caused by the heavy rainfall. Obviously the dress that people wear in a particular area is largely determined by climatic considerations. It is ludicrous to disregard environmental conditions and prescribe a uniform dress for people. People living in extremely cold countries automatically wear warm clothing, while people living in tropical regions do not. Language: In every country languages originate and develop according to racial and cultural factors. Though the origin of languages is fundamentally the same everywhere, languages vary from place to place. Racial characteristics are defined by the nature of the blood and the structure of the nose, eyes, hair and skin. The differences in the formation of these factors account for the 398 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 variations in racial characteristics. There are four main races in the world: Aryan, Mongolian, Austric and Negroid. Aryans have red or fair complexions, Mongolians yellow complexions, Austrics dark-brown complexions and Negroes black complexions. Austrico-Negroids are called “Dravidians”. The Aryans can be divided into three groups. First, the Nordic Aryans have reddish-white skin, reddish or golden hair, brown eyes like those of cats, warm blood and hawk-like noses. Secondly, the Alpine Aryans have milky-white skin, bluish-black hair, blue eyes, slightly cooler blood than the Nordics, and parrot-like noses. Thirdly, the Mediterranean Aryans have fair skin, black hair, dark eyes, average-size noses, cooler blood than the Alpines, and are of medium stature. The people living in southern France, Arabian countries and the Balkan states belong to the Mediterranean sub-race. The Mongolians can be divided into five groups. First, the Nipponese have big faces, flat noses and big bodies. Secondly, the Chinese have flat noses and slanting eyes. Thirdly, the Malays have small bodies and flat noses. Fourthly, the Indo- Burmese have flat noses and comparatively big bodies. Fifthly, the Indo-Tibetans have flat noses and are the most attractive. All the people in these groups have yellowish skin and little hair on their bodies. The Austrics have medium-sized bodies and mud-black skins. The Negroes have black skin, curly hair, thick lips, slightly colder blood than the Aryans, and are usually tall in stature. There are several racial groupings in India, including the Indo-Tibetans [or Mongolo-Tibetans or Tibeto-Chinese], such as the Ladakhans, Kinnaris, Garhwalis, Nepalese, Sikkimese, Bhutanese, Newars, Mizos and Garos; the Mediterranean Aryans, such as the Kashmiri Brahmans and those [people living in Kashmir] with a reddish or fair complexion; and the HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 399

Dravidians, such as the Andhra Pradeshis, Karnatakas, Keralites and Tamils. In the pre-historic past the entire north of India, that is, the area north of the Vindhya Range up to Tibet, was under the sea. The area south of the Vindhyas, the present Arabian Sea, South Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia formed the Gondwana archipelago. The Austrics inhabited the northern portion of Gondwanaland, the Negroes inhabited the southwestern portion, and the Austrico-Negroids, the Dravidians of today, inhabited the central portion.3 The bio- racial structure of different ethnic groups indicates the race to which they belong. As a rule a strong culture exerts a great influence on a weaker culture. When people with different cultural backgrounds live side by side, the language spoken by the people of the stronger culture automatically influences the other groups. For example, though there were marked differences between the Aryan and non-Aryan cultures, the Aryan language was so powerful that all the languages of [western] and northern India came to depend mainly on [Vedic]. The influence of [Vedic] was so widespread that even in southern India it exerted [an] influence on the Dravidian languages. [However, this influence was not unilateral, and the Vedic language was also influenced by Sanskrit.4]

3 The term “Gondwanaland” can be used to refer either to the ancient landmass that formed about 600 million years ago and began to break up about 180 million years ago or to the remaining parts of that landmass collectively as they exist today. In this sentence, however, the author is referring to that part of Gondwanaland that forms modern-day India, and to a time after Homo sapiens evolved. See also the section Ethnology is “Human Society Is One and Indivisible –1.” –Eds. 4 The author says: “…one almost identical language was current all the way from Central Asia and Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia. The branch of that language that was popular in the southeastern part of that expanse was called Sanskrit, while the language that was spoken in the northwestern parts was Vedic…

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The following statistics illustrate the extent to which Sanskrit influenced the languages of eastern and southern India. In Bengali there are 92% Sanskrit words, in Oriya 90%, in Maethili 85%, in Malayalam 75%, and in Tamil 3%. In the past some people from North India travelled to the western part of Madras [now Chennai] by sea and settled there; hence Malayalam is full of Sanskrit words, although the verbs are Tamil. Aryan culture exerted a powerful influence on the upper classes of society, although it also had a general influence on the other classes. There are some Austric communities, such as the Saha, Dhangrsh, etc., who speak an Austric dialect at home but Bhojpuri outside their family circle. Similarly, the Singhmuòìás and Sarkars of Ranchi district and the Tipperas of Tripura speak their own dialect at home and Bengali outside. The people of Garhwal and the Kumayun have started speaking Indo-Aryan languages instead of Tibetan and Chinese. The Dravidian languages include Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Tulu. The alphabets of the Tibetan, Chinese and Indo-Chinese languages are the same, although the Chinese and Japanese scripts are pictorial. The inhabitants of Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] speak Sinhalese (which contains 87% Sanskrit words) and Tamil. Members of the Gunatilak and Bandar Nayak communities of Bengal migrated to Ceylon and became the Sinhalese community. The people of Burma [now Myanmar] speak several languages: Burmese, Chin, Kachin,

“The Vedic language came to India with the Aryans, but the Sanskrit language is an indigenous language of India… “Obviously, Sanskrit, the common language of the indigenous people of the then India, was not outside the orbit of influence of the Vedic language; but that influence was not unilateral; that is, the Vedic language was also influenced by the Sanskrit language.” See “An Introduction to Shiva (Discourse 1)”, given on 11 April 1982, in Namah Shiváya Shántáya, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 401

Shun and other common and less-common languages. Like the Sinhalese, their alphabets are based on the Indo-Aryan alphabet. The Indo-Aryan languages include Marathi, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Kathiawali, Bundel Khandu [Bundeli], Avadhi, Chhattisgarhi, Bhojpuri, Angika, Magahi, Maethili, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Garhwali, Kumayuni and Gorkhali. The Austric languages include all the Muòìá languages, Santhal, Khaóhia and the Momkhám group of dialects. The Tibeto-Burmese languages include all the languages and dialects of Assam except Assamese and the Manipuri and Naga dialects. The Tibeto-Chinese languages include Ladakhi, Bathi, Kinnari, Kiráti, Lepcha, Yiáru, Newari, Garo, Khaïiya and Mizo. The Sino-Japanese languages include Mandarin, Shanghainese, Cantonese, Japanese, Tagalog, Cambodian, Indonesian and the Malaysian languages. Basically there are four types of script: Indo-Aryan, Roman [or Occido-Aryan], Semitic (alpha, beta, gamma, etc., in Greek correspond to alef, bet, gimel, etc., in Hebrew) and Chinese or pictorial script. The oldest script was invented 6,000 years ago and is called Samalháptii script. Kharoïíii emerged 1,000 years later. Bráhmii is written from right to left and Kharoïíii from left to right. Kutilá was used in Allahabad and East Allahabad. In Rajasthan, Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Odisha and Assam, Bráhmii script was widely used. The old rock inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka were written in Kutilá. Ancient rock inscriptions found at Allahabad, Dhaka, Calcutta [now Kolkata], Patna, etc., are all written in Kutilá script. Later the script came to be known as Shriiharïa script after King Harïavardhana,5 who used Kutilá in his rock inscriptions and

5 He ruled much of North India from 606 to 647. –Eds.

402 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 official seals. The present-day Bengali script is Shriiharïa script. Sáradá is used in northwestern India while Nárada or Nágrii script is used in southwestern India. The Nágrii script does not use mátrá [a line over the letters]. When mátrá is used, it is called Devanágrii script. The Sárasvata Brahmans of Kashmir and the Punjab use Sáradá script, and the Nagar Brahmans of Gurjarat used Nágrii script. The present Shriiharïa script is about 1,300 years old and the Nágrii script is about 300 years old. In ancient India Vedic Sanskrit tried to suppress the Dravidian and Austric languages, just as in Europe Latin tried to destroy all the other European languages. In the Middle East Arabic tried to destroy all the Persian languages, and in India Sanskrit tried to suppress all the Prákrta languages. When Buddha began to propagate his philosophy in Páli, the Sanskrit scholars advised him to use Sanskrit, but Buddha refused. In medieval India Kabir6 revolted against the use of Sanskrit as the medium of expression. He said, Saîskrtakúpodaka bháhábahata niira. [“Sanskrit is like stagnant well water, whereas the people’s languages are like flowing fresh water.”] In Bengal Sanskrit scholars tried to suppress the Bengali language, but Nawab Hussain Shah extended all kinds of help and encouragement to the development of the Bengali language. Until then the Rámáyaòa, the Mahábhárata and the Bhagavad Giitá were written only in Sanskrit. Later the poets Krittivas [Ojah'], Kashi Ramdas and Malladhar Basu (Guna Raja Khan) translated the Rámáyaòa, the Mahábhárata and the Bhagavad Giitá respectively into Bengali. The Sanskrit scholars began to spread the false rumour that Nawab Hussain Shah was conspiring to destroy Hinduism because the holy scriptures of the Hindus were being translated into Bengali.

6 Kabir lived in the 15th century. –Eds. HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 403

They sanctioned Krittivas Ojah' and excommunicated him from the Hindu religion. This took place about 450 years ago. Recently some people in Canada and Wales revolted against the imposition of English because they wanted to use their own language as their medium of expression. Likewise, Bhojpuri, Maethili, Magahi, Chhattisgarhi, Angika, Avadhi, Bundeli, Marwari, Konkani and many other important Indian languages are being suppressed by different vested interests. Religion: Not everyone follows the same religion, nor is religion a common factor in society. Rather the opposite is the case, and very often religion divides society. The Arabic word for “religion” is majhab, whereas dharma in the etymological sense means “characteristic” or “property”. In fact, if dharma is understood in the true sense of the term, it is one and indivisible for the entire human race. Dharma is a psycho- spiritual faculty. It gradually brings out the latent divine qualities of the human heart and helps human beings attain oneness with the Supreme Entity. It has nothing to do with material objects. On the other hand, religion is a psycho- sentimental factor. It is a collection of physical and ritualistic observances. There may be many religions, but dharma is one. Religions always prescribe certain ritualistic observances, such as lighting lamps in a particular way, holding candles in a specified manner, sitting one way or standing another, counting beads a certain number of times, etc. Only approved people are supposed to worship particular deities; fixed sacerdotal fees are to be charged; prescribed animals are to be sacrificed to the deities; altars are to be built in a particular way; and so on. While following such rituals, the mind is engrossed in religious rites and material objects, so how can it move in an ideational flow to a devotional goal? Those who follow a particular religion are supposed to kneel down and stand up a specific number of times, so naturally they will always be counting 404 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 their movements; consequently their minds cannot be withdrawn from physical movements and external activities. There are some people who vehemently believe that only temples are holy places and that mosques, churches and synagogues are not. The followers of another religion look upon themselves as the chosen disciples of God and regard others as heathens or infidels.7 But how can bricks, stones, mortar, etc., be holy or unholy? They are only material objects. Most of the masons and carpenters who were employed to build the temples belonged to other religions, yet once a temple was constructed it was declared holy, regardless of who built it. Is this not ludicrous? Religions are based on external ritualistic observances, so they are preoccupied with physical objects. In the course of time these physical objects become the objects of ideation. Take the example of cows. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus because they provide milk. Now, if cows are considered sacred for this reason, then what about buffaloes which provide more milk? They should be considered more sacred than cows. The followers of religious dogma do not like to discuss such issues. As a result of ideating on religion, the human mind becomes inert. No amount of discussion or intellectual persuasion can shake that psychic inertia. From childhood human beings are taught irrational ideas, so when they grow up it is extremely difficult to remove these preconceived notions. For example, students conversant with science know that a solar or lunar eclipse is caused by scientific factors and has nothing to do with the mythological demons Ráhu [umbra] and Ketu [penumbra]. But even then, due to their inherent saîskáras

7 In these two sentences the author is referring to authodox Hindus and authodox Muslims respectively. –Eds.

HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 405

[reactive momenta], they go to the Ganges and take a holy bath during an eclipse. Is this not due to ingrained religious beliefs? When people’s ideas are so fixed that they will not entertain any discussion or argument, it is called “fanaticism”. It is said that religion is a question of faith, not logic. In India there are many religious fanatics. Due to religious fanaticism and bigotry, there have been innumerable violent clashes in the past. How repugnant that thousands of people were killed on the pretext of a single strand of hair!8 These fanatics never bothered to listen to the ideas of others, and moreover for them it is a sin to listen to others. In one sense they are worse than animals, because animals do not harbour any communal feeling. Physical sentiments are predominant in such religious expressions. People should keep aloof from the bondages of religion. Behind all religious dogma physical considerations are dominant. One community considers it a sin to eat beef but not goats or deer. The custom of wearing a vermilion mark on the forehead by Indian women is an expression of religious sentiment. The women of other countries do not follow this practice. It does not matter at all if Indian women stop using vermilion. All religions exploit people by appealing to religious sentiments. There are many people who worship particular scriptures. These scriptures were most likely typeset, printed and bound by the followers of other religions. As soon as a book of scriptures has been published, Hindus regard it as the goddess Sarasvatii [the goddess of knowledge]. There are many people who spend money extravagantly to build idols, then after a day or two, a long procession and a lot of fanfare, the idol is immersed in a river. If a member of another religion

8 Riots lasting several weeks broke out in the Kashmir Valley, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal after a strand of hair, said to be a religious relic, was reported missing near Srinagar on 26 December 1963. –Eds. 406 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 accidentally damages any part of the idol, a violent incident may occur the very next moment. Fanaticism occurs when physical considerations outweigh rationality. Religious fanaticism occurs when fanaticism centres on a particular religion. A powerful intellectual appeal rather than the application of force is required to bring religious fanatics onto the right path, because force will only create a reaction which will intensify religious fanaticism. Certain practices were not originally religious rituals, but traditions or customs. Long ago the Jews started practising circumcision. When Moses converted some of his contemporaries to Judaism, and later when Muhammad converted some local people to Islam, neither prophet dared to instruct their new followers to discard the old customs they followed; consequently the old customs continued after their conversion. In ancient times the Austrics used to worship the Sun God because they believed that if it was propitiated, it would send abundant rains and produce rich harvests. In Austric society women played a very important role; consequently the role of the priests was not so important. The Austrics believed that the sun was a female god and the moon was a male god, so they addressed the sun as “Mother”. They introduced Chat Puja, the worship of the Sun Goddess. In olden times people used to worship the Sun Goddess only once a year, but in Magadh it is worshipped twice, during the two major harvests. The tradition of Chat Puja became so strong among the inhabitants of Magadh that, despite the enormous influence of the Aryans, Buddhists and Muslims, the custom of Chat Puja continued unchanged. Even today the Muslims in some areas of Magadh worship the Sun Goddess. In some places they perform the worship themselves and in other places they arrange for Hindus to perform the puja on their behalf. Similarly, in Bengal the Muslims worship the deities Satyanáráyaòa and Olábibi [i.e., HOW TO UNITE HUMAN SOCIETY 407 the Oláicánd]. These are expressions of traditional beliefs that have been passed down from one generation to another. The only way to combat religious fanaticism is to strengthen the logical wave. From the study of science we know that an eclipse is a physical phenomenon. The deities Ráhu and Ketu have nothing to do with it. Although this sort of superstitious belief is no doubt diminishing, there are some people who still worship mythological deities because they believe that the deities can be propitiated to release the sun and the moon from an eclipse. The reason is that the fear psychosis in human beings is stronger than logic. When human rationality is strengthened, irrational ideas will vanish from society. Many people today advocate the formation of dharma ráïíras [theocratic states]. But when they use the term dharma ráïíras, they mean religious states, not states that uphold the cause of dharma. We should strive to establish states which uphold dharma, and in order to do this the physical sentiments that are the basis of religion should be ignored. People must remain aloof from dogmatic religious ideas. Some people take part in religious observances which relate to the moon; after the appearance of the moon, they start their religious penance. But what will happen to those who live on the moon itself? Rational thinking will remove the fear complex from the human mind; rationality will defeat fanaticism. In India the Aryans tried to establish the Vedic religion by destroying the Austric religion. In the Buddhist period, particularly during the reign of King Bimbisar9 of Magadh, Buddhism was imposed upon non-Buddhists. Later the Hindus forcibly converted Buddhists and Jains to Hinduism. During the Muslim period10 the Islamic rulers forcibly imposed Islam on India, Iran and Egypt. In fact contemporary Egypt is a

9 King Bimbisar ruled about 2,500 years ago. –Eds. 10 The Muslim period in India lasted from 1193 to 1857. –Eds. 408 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 mixture of Arabian civilization and Islamic religion. Countless Jews were forcibly converted to Christianity. During the British rule of India,11 the Christians propagated Christianity in a very psychological way, consequently thousands of Hindus became Christians. Before the British came to India, there were hardly any Christians in the country. In the Muslim period many Hindus were converted to Islam by both psychological pressure and physical force. Besides this, many Hindus embraced Islam because they were disgusted with the defects in Hinduism. At that time, along with a severe religious upheaval, there was also extreme social disparity, and as a result many people turned to Islam. Even today some missionaries are converting people to their respective religions by taking advantage of the people’s educational backwardness, superstition and poverty. The medieval crusades are also burning examples of the suppression of religion by other religionists.

August 1970

11 British rule lasted from 1757 to 1947. –Eds.

SAMÁJA GURUS AND SADVIPRAS

Thought patterns change with advancing age. But one must be careful to see that these natural thoughts do not cross the line from that which it would be better to forsake, to that which is actually punishable. Very often children, when they get together, waste their time fighting with each other. So let them get together; but it will be up to the adults to see that they do not fight. No ideal society can be established if we go against nature. Natural principles of psychology should not be violated. There was a time when just to think of eating rice on ekádashii [eleventh day after the new moon or full moon], or to eat non- vegetarian food on the new moon or full moon, was regarded as a punishable crime. But I would say that if anyone takes rice in a normal way, there is nothing wrong with that. Whatever thoughts any small child, or boy or girl, or adolescent, youth, middle-aged person or old person may have in their individual lives, in family life it is the responsibility of the guardians of the family to control them. Children are generally like their parents. But the overall responsibility of guardianship lies with the samája gurus.1 They should see that

1 The author defines samája gurus as follows: “The first point is that teachers must be selected carefully. High academic qualifications do not necessarily confer on a person the right to become a teacher. Teachers must possess such qualities as personal integrity, strength of character, righteousness, a feeling of social service, unselfishness, an inspiring personality and leadership ability. They are samája gurus, and for this reason it is not possible to accept just anyone as a teacher. Because teachers have an extremely important role to play, their professional standards must be very high.” See “Education” in Volume 1. “In the history of our human society sometimes it so happens that a major portion of the people, [who used to get inspiration from their environment, cannot, due to 410 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 no one’s thoughts cross the line from that which it would be better to forsake, to that which is actually punishable. And as in individual life, so in social life, the samája gurus should see that the collective thinking does not cross the line from that which it would be better to forsake, to that which is actually punishable. If, in spite of everything, people’s defective thoughts do reach the stage of punishability, indiscipline will affect the entire social structure. To put an end to the indiscipline and restore order to social life is the major responsibility of a sadvipra. For this reason there is no place for carefree relaxation in a sadvipra’s life. A sadvipra has to bear, and staunchly bear, the entire responsibility of protecting society. If the mentality of any group of the society reaches the punishable stage, sadvipras will have to form another and more disciplined group. Yesterday2 I told you that there are three types of pátaka [sin]. The first type is where atonement is possible. Suppose, for instance, that someone has stolen five rupees. Certainly that is a sin. But if the thief returns the money to its owner, and apologizes for his or her conduct, then it must be considered that the sin has been atoned for. The second type of pátaka is called atipátaka, and for that there is no social atonement. Suppose someone has brutally cut off someone else’s legs. To the influence of antisocial elements,] get that inspiration. When such a situation is created, it is the duty of the nobler and better portion of the human race to guide others so that they may not feel any difficulty due to unfavourable environmental pressure. These people are the samája gurus.” See “The Phases of Human Approach” in Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30, 1996, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. “Samája gurus are those who lead the entire society by virtue of their extraordinary intelligence, deep wisdom, towering personality and leadership ability. Hence it can be easily imagined that this world has been blessed with few such [samája gurus].” See “Vraja Krïòa and Sáîkhya Philosophy” in Namámi Krïòasundaram, 1997. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti. –Eds. 2 The discourse the author refers to is unavailable. It may never have been taped. –Eds. SAMÁJA GURUS AND SADVIPRAS 411 atone for that sort of sin will mean completely giving up all sorts of ease, comforts and pleasures of life for the sake of social welfare. The third category of sin is called mahápátaka. For that also there is no atonement. That kind of sin brings recurring harm to society. An example is the adulteration of black pepper with papaya seeds; because, if one businessman does this, another will see the first [do it] and be encouraged to imitate the first... Normally, when the number of atipátakiis and mahápátakiis increases out of proportion, the responsibility of saving the society rests with sadvipras. But when the mahápátakiis in society outnumber the atipátakiis, Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness] descends on Earth armed with His special power. That is why the Giitá says:

Yadá yadá hi dharmasya glánirbhavati Bhárata; Cábhyutthánamadharmasya tadátmánaî srjámyáham. Paritráòáya sádhúnáî vinásháya ca duïkrtám; Dharmasaîsthápanártháya sambhavámi yuge yuge.3

The deviation of any object from its normal state is called gláni. The normal state of dharma means movement in accordance with dharma, not movement towards nature. When mental sin reaches the punishable stage, the gláni of dharma sets in. Hence Bhagaván Shrii Krïòa said: “Whenever the decline of dharma sets in, that is to say, when the mahápátakiis in society outnumber the atipátakiis, Parama Puruïa, assuming a quinquelmental body, descends on Earth.” Here the word yuga means a period of disaster. In a period of disaster, Parama Puruïa comes to the world to save the

3 “O Bhárata, at a time when dharma declines and adharma is ascendant, I create Myself out of my own fundamental factors. I incarnate Myself in this world from age to age for the protection of the virtuous, the destruction of the wicked, and the restoration of dharma.” Tadátmánaî srjámyaham means “I create Myself at that time.” –Eds. 412 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 virtuous and to complete the task that the samája gurus and sadvipras fail to accomplish; He removes all evils by the root. The mission of Parama Puruïa is to restore dharma. He fulfils this mission yuga after yuga. I want to tell you only this: that in your personal lives you should never let your wrong thoughts sink below the level of that which it would be better to forsake, to the level of punishability. Do not even think of allowing them to. Remember that strong samája gurus must be developed. A samája guru simply means a teacher. That is why we in Ananda Marga lay great emphasis on education – in order to bring about a widespread expansion of learning and remove all defects in the world of education. If the samája gurus are unable to protect the society, then the sadvipras will have to take on that responsibility. If even the sadvipras are not able to cope with the social problems, then Parama Puruïa Himself has to appear in the world in a physical framework. Your duty is to cooperate body and soul with the samája gurus, the sadvipras, and Parama Puruïa in their joint noble work. This indeed is your dharma.

30 January 1971, morning, Kolkata From “Tadátmánaî Srjámyaham” Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 25

EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION

In the expressed universe whatever happens is within the scope of space, time and person, and both human beings and other jiivas [living beings] have to take the help of symbolization. Without symbolization, expression is not possible. This principle is applicable as much in the world of the five rudimentary factors as it is in the psychic world. That is, in this expressed universe wherever there is no manifestation, no expression, all activity is within the sphere or within the framework of symbolization. And when symbolization is not possible one is apt to say that it is inexplicable. Actually it would be wrong to term it “inexplicable”; it would be more correct to say that it is “non- symbolizable”.

The Limitations of the Organs

What is this Cosmic universe? It is nothing but a combination of different kinds of waves. Not only human beings but every living being has very limited powers. The different organs of perception can catch only waves falling within a very limited range; they are incapable of catching waves that are cruder or are subtler. The organs thus function with very limited powers. In other words, in the phenomenal universe whatever powers [i.e., waves] get expressed the human organs cannot perceive even 1% of them; no, indeed very much less than that can the organs grasp. As a matter of fact not only the majority of the waves that get vibrated but indeed almost all of them are beyond the capacity of human perception. It has therefore been said that the expressed 414 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 universe is a very small island in the ocean of the unexpressed universe. As this universe itself is such a small island, how very much less is the capacity of a human being! Whatever is happening, human beings have very little capacity of really knowing. So see with what limited powers and scope for functioning human beings and other jiivas work. Yet despite their limited intellect, their limited power, human beings are filled with ego. It is not possible for the jiivas to know fully what this thing or that thing is like, for their power of perception is limited. Many things are happening before your eyes in this quinquelemental world that your eyes cannot even see. What you see and think is very big is only small, a very small part indeed of the expression of Parama Puruïa [Supreme Consciousness]. How vast is the expression of Parama Puruïa when you see vastness in the smallest of His manifestations. From your limited experience, how can you understand the greatness of Parama Puruïa? You cannot even know how many kinds of matter there are in the air and water around you. The kind of waves that a particular living organism can grasp another species of living organism may not be able to grasp. What we see or experience is within the scope of human perception. But already, before something happens or before the coming of those waves, subtler waves come which human beings cannot grasp but which some cruder living beings of the animal world can, thus they know in advance that something is going to happen. It is also possible for some individual human beings to have such knowledge. Actually, what is it? It is nothing but the power to perceive the subtler waves, which we call the science of premonition. This power increases with sadhana. The functioning of the eyes is activated by light waves. The eyes may or may not grasp such waves. You may look in one direction but still may not be able to see something that is EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 415 there. In the same way you will not be able to catch sound waves that do not fall within the range of human hearing. You do not even know how many kinds of sounds are present around you. The same can be said with respect to your powers of smell, touch and taste. Now, understand that your sensory organs come into contact with only a minimal part of the waves, of the vibrations, that are there in this phenomenal world. It is only after coming in contact with them that you perceive them and get them assimilated in your mental sphere. After perceiving them, what do you do? You seek to give expression to them. Only a very small fraction of the waves come within the scope of expression, and out of these you can perceive only a part of them because the sensory organs have limited powers. Then how are you to give them expression? While seeking to give them expression, you have to take the help of symbolization. If you delay in your symbolization, the impression of the experience will remain on the psychic plane only and you will not be able to give it an expression. Suppose a good musician is singing. You can catch only a small part of the melody and the sound waves of his or her singing. That which you could not catch was because it was beyond your capacity to grasp, since your ears were not properly trained. To understand music one has to be trained. Suppose you wanted to give expression to what you heard. After trying, you find that you could not sing the way you had heard. After listening for sometime, you may want to sing in tune, but what do you find? You find that you have not been able to do so because you have not been able to symbolize it. Why were you not able to symbolize it completely? In this expressed universe there are many kinds of sounds which you can hear, but you cannot reproduce them. What is the reason? Is it not because there has not been proper symbolization? 416 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Now, consider the different rágas [classical melodies] that exist and how these have been classified. We [in India] have divided the musical scale into seven notes. We call it surasaptaka. The musical scale in the West is the octave. The vibrations on the surasaptaka have been determined keeping in view the capacity of the human vocal organ. It may be that in the far distant future the capacity of human hearing may grow and accordingly also expression may increase; that is, the capacity for acoustic symbolization may be increased. In that case the present octave will not do and it will have to be changed. Its scope will have to be increased. If the human race on this earth exists for lakhs of years, a time will come when it will be necessary for it to change the octave, and the present musical scale will no longer continue. Through permutation and combination, many thousands of rágas and ráginiis will be created. According to the needs of the age, a change in our music will come about. Now see, on touching something hot you say, “Oh”. On touching something even hotter you say, “OH” and symbolize it. But there is a difference between your first “Oh” and the second “OH”. In the first case your finger got burned and in the second cased your whole hand got burned. Your power of expression, however, is very limited. You have to convey your feelings with only a few words, such as “Oh” or “Uf”. Suppose you see a beautiful scene. Your eyes cannot grasp all its beauty. You are able to feel only a part of its beauty. If you want to express it by drawing a picture, you can recreate only a small percentage of what you have felt or observed mentally. That is to say your creation can never be complete. A feeling of dissatisfaction, insufficiency or incompleteness will remain in the mind, such that what you wanted to draw has not been fully expressed. However great one may be, one will never be able to accomplish all that one wanted to. There will always be some EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 417 distance between idea and expression. Those who are technicians try to bridge the distance between idea and expression and those who are geniuses actively seek to lessen it. But neither has the genius been able to lessen the distance nor has the technician been able to bridge the gap. But the urge to lessen the distance between idea and expression or to remove the distance is symptomatic and is of basic importance. It is a very congenial urge. The effort will continue but it will never end. The technician will always strive to reduce that distance but the distance will never be removed. The same thing can be said with regard to rúpa [form, vision], rasa [taste] and gandha [smell]. You may see a shocking, gruesome scene but you are not able to convey it fully. In the same way you may see a pleasant scene but you are not able to express it fully. Your faculties of expression are always unable to correctly bring out your feelings. Our symbolization is successful only up to the extent we can imbibe it, but that does not serve the full purpose.

Relative Symbolization

In this expressed universe, everything is within the scope of relativity. Because of the limitations of symbolization itself, relative expression becomes extremely difficult. Therefore, to express that which is infinite and boundless is quite out of the question. Even that which is within the bounds of relativity you are unable to express as its symbolization becomes impossible, so how will you symbolize that which is Absolute? It is just out of the question. Something more will be said about this later on. At present only symbolization which is circumscribed by relativity will be discussed. Regarding relative symbolization, three basic ideas have to be understood. First, that which gets symbolized is never complete. It has already been explained that a gap remains 418 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 between an idea and its expression. There is never a complete expression, and a feeling of insufficiency or dissatisfaction remains. You could not achieve all that you wanted. Secondly, symbolization is not of the same character. Suppose two individuals are the victims of a similar sorrow. One of them may go mad because of it and the other may weep for a few minutes and then call for a cup of tea. This is what happens in the world. We see that feelings and ideas never find identical expression and identical symbolization. This is because of differences in the individual psyche. In some persons there is a greater degree of self-discipline, self-control, and in some others less. Some people can symbolize more than others. Those who have greater self- discipline are to that extent better-integrated personalities. Those who can symbolize better are really better technicians. Remember that a genius has inborn talents, but who is a technician? Technicians are those who have ordinary qualities, but by dint of application (sadhana) and effort they have converted those qualities into outstanding skills. This is the basic difference between a genius and a technician.1 From age to age also there are differences. 10,000 years ago, for instance, the manner in which people symbolized their feelings of sorrow and happiness was quite different from how they do so today. Suppose you accidentally hurt a man 200 or 300 years ago, what would you have done? You would have caught hold of his hands and expressed your distress and then tried to render first aid to him. That is how people used to behave 200 or 300 years ago. But this is not the case today. If anybody gets hurt, often it suffices to just utter, “Oh, sorry.” The nature of expression has changed and so has the symbolization. The change came in accordance with the change in times.

1 See also “Genius and Technician” in Volume 3. –Eds. EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 419

In the same way changes can be seen in relation to different countries. In one country, for instance, if somebody shoots another person, people say how wrong it is and the assailant feels ashamed, regrets it and tries to run away. But in some other country it may be that when someone shoots another and is asked why he or she did so, he or she will reply, “Why are you accusing me? The man I shot has died and you feel great sympathy for him, while you have no sympathy for me, even though I have lost so many bullets!” See, symbolization changes with the change in the country. Hence there is change according to time and place. “Come in” is a verbal symbolization of an idea or sentiment, but such a symbolization can also express shades of sentiment. Similarly the Sanskrit word agachha [which also means “come in”] is a different symbolization of the same idea. “Come in” can be said in different ways conveying different meanings. Thus somebody can say, “Come in” in a very polite manner, and it can also be said in a tone of command or in an ordinary way. Thirdly, symbolization cannot remain static; that is, it changes quickly. 2,000 years ago, when people used to live in the mountains, in caves, the way in which people expressed themselves is not how they express themselves now. Changes have come. Because of such changes, there have also been changes in expression in the fields of art, architecture, literature, and in fact in all finer human qualities. Such changes will continue to come – this is the nature of expression. If somebody were to insist that art, architecture, literature, etc., has to follow the traditional pattern, it can only be said that he or she is living in a fool’s paradise. Human feelings will have to be expressed in the form that reflects the prevailing age. As far as relativity is concerned, not only in the realm of physical expression but also in psychic expression the same principle operates. Mentally also you cannot symbolize 420 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 everything. Even if you can symbolize some feeling or idea mentally, you may not be able to symbolize it externally, through the expression of your eyes, or orally, or by the gestures of your hands and feet. Sometimes you readily acknowledge that you have understood something but you just cannot explain it. Sugar is sweet and so is a rasagollá [milk sweet], but you are not able to explain the difference. All you can say is that something is sweet like sugar or rasagollá or mango. You can tell the difference but you cannot express exactly what you experience. You are unable to express your feelings. Similar is the case in the spiritual field: that which you experience you are not able to express. You can express your experience only partially; 99% remains unexpressed.2

Subtle Symbolization

Parama Puruïa, who is an Absolute Entity, cannot be explained in any way. It is simply not possible. One becomes dumb and speech becomes impossible. That is why it has been said that Parama Puruïa has never been defiled by speech. If you want to describe Him by word of mouth, since the mouth has been used He will get defiled, but He cannot be defiled because it is not possible to describe Him in any way. Because of the depth of your inner feelings, when your mental waves seek symbolization but do not succeed, the mind itself ceases working. Such a state is called samádhi [“spiritual absorption”]. To explain Parama Puruïa at such a time [i.e., in such a state] is even more impossible. All that can be said is that human beings describe Parama Puruïa by using words such as Parama Puruïa, Bhagaván, etc.

2 Using an acronym, the author called the three basic ideas of relative symbolization – that nothing is perfect, nothing is uniform and nothing is permanent – “PUP Theory”. –Eds. EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 421

Parama Puruïa is Absolute. Many ideas and feelings that are within the scope of the mind cannot be expressed through the sensory organs. Thus those things that are basically not Absolute, or in the sphere of feelings and emotions and not Supreme, even these the sensory organs may not be able to express or symbolize. So it is too much to suppose that the sensory organs can in any way express Parama Puruïa, who is the Supreme Entity as much from the psychic and philosophical point of view as from [the viewpoint of] thoughts and feelings. It is not possible for the mental faculties either to symbolize Him. They fail to describe Him. That is why it has been said:

Yato váco nivarttante aprápya manasá saha; Ánandaî Brahmaòo vidván má vibheti kutashcana.

[Brahma (the Supreme Entity) is the One from whom words and mind return disappointed, after failing to fathom Its depths. But one who has known the blissful nature of Brahma is not afraid of anything.]

When you want to say something about Parama Puruïa, what will happen? Words cannot be uttered because the vocal cord itself fails. The mind fails to symbolize Him. People may say, are not those who [internally] call Parama Puruïa, Parama Puruïa really engaged in a subtle endeavour? But what is this? This is a symbolization through language. This may be so, but the words Parama Puruïa are not a symbolization through language of Parama Puruïa. What do we do through symbolic expression or expressed symbolization? We only want to say that Parama Puruïa cannot be symbolized, and this is what the words Parama Puruïa symbolize. It is this idea that is symbolized when we do invocation to Parama Puruïa. 422 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

It has been said that when someone wants to tell another about Parama Puruïa, that at the time of speaking neither is the symbolization of the words possible nor is the symbolization of what is heard by the listener possible. That is, for both the speaker and the listener the symbolization of words is difficult. It is indeed a difficult state, and the guru becomes dumb and the disciple becomes deaf. What can the guru do except become dumb? Because of the limited scope of language, he cannot express himself. How can Parama Puruïa be symbolized in words? The capacity of the ears is also limited. Even if there is adequately expression in words, will the ears fully grasp what they hear? That is why Krïòácarya has said that in such a condition the guru is dumb and the disciple deaf: Jo mano goar alá jálá Ágama pothi Iïíá málá Bhan kaese sahaj bola vá jáe Káa vákcia jasu na samáe Ále guru uesai shiiï Vák pathátiita kahiba kiis Já teôi boli te tabi tál Guru bob se shiiïá kál Bhaòai Káhòu jina raan bi kaesá Káleô bob samvohia jaesá.

[Relative truth what mind compasses Beyond philosophies, It all surpasses Scriptures and myths are indeed but bricks That make no sense, confounded tricks The teacher and the taught, both in a mess What is beyond discourses cannot be expressed For whatever is said, mind must contribute The disciple deaf, the teacher mute “What is It” beyond verbal domain Except deaf-dumb mimes in symbolic strain.] EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 423

What you speak or express is within the scope of relativity and is not Absolute. In this condition how can the guru, who talks about Parama Puruïa, speak about Him who is Absolute? He has therefore to be dumb and his disciple deaf. What will the spiritual aspirants do then? Even if it is not possible, they will make an effort. Krïòácarya himself explains what is to be done. He notes how the deaf and the dumb converse among themselves. They do so by means of various gestures and vocal sounds which are themselves a kind of symbolization, indeed subtler symbolization. When they talk they do so by keeping silent and taking recourse to subtler symbolizations. You have to express yourself just as the deaf and the dumb do. What else can be done in such a state of helplessness? Now you see, there is one more kind of symbolization, and this is subtler symbolization. When an idea is imbibed through your sensory organs, after it gets crystallized it finds expression through your motor organs. It is similar to the way your saîskáras, or the relative momenta of the mind, act, whether they are carried over from a previous life or have been acquired in the present life and which we call prárabdha [“unrequited reactions”]. The mental feeling or thought, before getting expressed in a symbolized form, really got symbolized in the mental stuff. If these do not find outward expression or if an effort was not made for such an expression, then these latent symbols are what constitute the saîskáras or relative momenta. They remain in the mind as symbols. One day these mental symbols will have to be given expression as physical symbols. As long as these physical symbols do not get expressed, you will be carrying the load of those mental symbols from one life to another. This is the reason why there are rebirths until such time as all the mental symbols get converted into physical symbols. 424 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

The expressed universe is only a very small fraction of the full symbolization. Of that small fraction, your organs can catch a very small portion only. Much less you can grasp through the mind. And very much less of what you have grasped mentally can you express through symbolization. In other words, your power of creative expression is extremely limited. By skilfully using one’s hands, one may express oneself through painting; by skilfully using one’s feet, through dancing; and by utilizing one’s vocal faculty, one may express oneself through music. We do not call one who is a good singer a shilpii [an artist]. Those who skilfully use their hands to paint are shilpiis, are citra shilpiis [accomplished painters or artists]. Now, see that everything is ensconced in the unexpressed universe. What your organs can grasp in the mental sphere is only a negligible portion of the expressed universe, and that part of this negligible portion that was reconverted in your mind and that is reassimilated or accumulated is all ensconced in the unexpressed universe or the Cosmic Mind. Therefore everything is dependent upon the Cosmic Mind, or what may be described as the spiritual flow or Cosmic flow. Then why should you wait for your symbolization to be converted into physical symbolization? Through subtle processes you should direct your mental symbolization so that it finds shelter in the spiritual flow. In this way your symbols will be converted into psycho-spiritual waves. What will happen then? In that case it would not be necessary for you to wait for your psychic symbols to get converted into physical symbols. When a change has been made on the psycho- spiritual plane it has to be converted into the spiritual, and since the átman [unit consciousness] is beyond the sphere of symbolization the problem of symbolization ends. It will mean final liberation, mokïa. It is this final liberation that human beings have been aspiring for since time immemorial. EXPRESSION AND SYMBOLIZATION 425

Those who have understood this should know that they do not have to wait for mokïa endlessly, from one life to another. In this very life convert your psychic symbolization into psycho-spiritual symbolization and become an emancipated being.

22 May 1971, RU, Ranchi

MENTAL COLOURS

You know about vipra, kïatriya, vaeshya and shúdra. Vipra means an intellectual who helps the society with the help of his or her intellect, who teaches others, guides others; he or she is a vipra. A kïatriya protects the society, protects the weak. How? With his or her valour, with his or her strength. A kïatriya utilizes his or her strength and courage in protecting the society. And vaeshya means – ? [to a spiritual aspirant.] You – vaeshya means? [The spiritual aspirant replies, “Capitalist.”] Vaeshya means “producer”, “manufacturer”. That is, agriculturalists (a farmer is an agriculturalist), [skilled] factory labourers, technicians – they are all vaeshyas.1 And shúdra – the unskilled labourer, or one who does nothing, or wastes his or her time, or depends on others. They are all shúdras. Now you see, so far as mental colour is concerned – according to the mental tendency, the mind has colour, and that colour is according to the wavelengths of thoughts. For a vipra it will be whitish, for a kïatriya reddish, for a vaeshya yellowish, and for a shúdra blackish. Black here means not the colour of the skin, not the complexion, you know, but the mental colour. Actually it concerns – what? Mental colours. And one may change one’s mental colour by dint of one’s sadhana. There are certain misunderstandings in India regarding these shúdras. Some people used to think that those non-Aryan people – Austrics, Mongoloids, and the Negroid population of

1 The author has explained that the term vaeshyas can be understood to mean producers or capitalists. In the section Business People in “Various Occupations” in Volume 1, he says: “Incidentally, the word vaeshyas actually means ‘those who produce through various occupations’. But today the meaning has completely changed. Today vaeshyas means ‘those who profit by trading and broking without being directly involved in production’.” –Eds. MENTAL COLOURS 427

India, Austrico-Negroids – that they were the shúdras because of their back skin. No, it’s not a matter of black skin, but of a black mind.2 The son of an intellectual may be a shúdra if he is mentally black. A person may be a vipra even if he or she is physically black.

17 December 1971, morning, Patna From “Twice Born” Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 30

2 After the Mediterranean Aryans first began to arrive in India about 10,000 years ago, they propagated the idea that the non-Aryans, who had darker-coloured skin, were racially inferior, and relegated them to the lowest level of their social or caste system. Subsequently, as the caste system evolved, the idea of non-Aryan racial inferiority gradually took root in people’s minds. The author, however, distinguishes between Shúdras, a caste, and shúdras, a social class, a collective psychology. –Eds.

APPENDIX 1

A CYCLIC REPRESENTATION OF THE SOCIAL CYCLE

The diagram below was copied from a diagram drawn on a blackboard by the author during a seminar he gave in 1969. The copy was subsequently published, and the published version is reproduced here. The key is an explanation given by the editors based on both the explanation accompanying the published diagram and the author’s book Human Society Part 2, which is contained in this volume.

Key: (a) first Shúdra Age; (b) forebears of the kïatriyas; (c) Kïatriya Age; (d) kïatriya degeneration; (e) Vipra Age; (f) vipra degeneration; (g) Vaeshya Age; (h) vaeshya degeneration; (i) shúdra revolution, completing a rotation of the social cycle; (j) second Kïatriya Age; (y) nucleus of the social cycle.

APPENDIX 2

A SYSTALTIC REPRESENTATION OF THE SOCIAL CYCLE

Key: (a) manifestative phase; (b) manifestative pause; (c) retardative (or systolic) phase; (d), (e) and (f) retardative (or systolic) pauses; (g) and (h) the impact of sadvipras on the social cycle.

GLOSSARY

ácárya m. or ácáryá f. Spiritual teacher qualified to teach all lessons of meditation. adharma That which goes against dharma. aham, ahaîtattva Doer “I”, ego. ahiîsa Literally, “not to harm anybody”; not to cause suffering to any harmless creature through thought, word or deed. álambana Literally, “support”. álápa The introductory portion of a classical piece of music. anáda Beginningless. ánanda Divine bliss. Ananda Marga Path of divine bliss; Ánanda Márga Parcáraka Saîgha, Ananda Marga organization. Ánanda Parivára A blissful, universal family; a universal government, a universal social order. ananta Endless. Anárya Non-Aryan, in a derogatory sense. aparavidyá Mundane knowledge. ápta vákya Absolute knowledge. artha Anything (especially wealth) that gives temporary relief from suffering. aïíapásha Eight fetters of the mind, namely: ghròá (hatred), shauôká (doubt), bhaya (fear), lajjá (shyness), jugupïa (dissemblance), kula (vanity of lineage), shiila (cultural superiority complex) and mána (egotism). asti Requirements for individual and social existence; the minimum requirements of food, clothing, housing, education and medical care. ástika Theistic. átmá, átman Soul, unit consciousness, self, spirit, unit puruïa, pure cognition. The átman of the Cosmos is Paramátman, and that of the unit is jiivátman. átma-sukha tattva The principle of selfish pleasure. 432 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Avidyámáyá Centrifugal or extroversial force; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle that guides movements from the subtle to the crude. See also Vidyámáyá. ayurveda A traditional Indian system of medicine that is more than 7,000 years old. In this system, medicine is applied not to treat the disease but to bring about a balance among various factors. bala In a general sense, personal force or capacity in any of the three spheres: physical, mental or spiritual. bataidars, bargadars Sharecroppers. Bhagaván Lord. Bhágavata Dharma Human dharma, the dharma to attain the Supreme; the path of spirituality. bhajana Devotional songs. bhákhá Colloquial language, vernacular (sometimes used in a derogatory sense). bhaotika vijiôána Physical science. bháïá Literally, “language”. bhati Development, progress. bhávavádiis Idealists. bhikïus Buddhist monks. bhogavádiis Materialists. bhútas Fundamental factors. bodhi jiôána Intuitional faculty. Brahma The Supreme Entity, comprising both Puruïa, or Shiva, and Prakrti, or Shakti. Brahmavidyá Intuitional science. Brahma Cakra The Cosmic Cycle – the cycle of creation out of Consciousness and dissolution back into Consciousness, through saiôcara and pratisaiôcara. Brahma sádhaná Cosmic ideation, meditation on the Supreme Entity. Also, sadhana. Brahma vijiôána Intuitional science. Brahman A member of the highest caste in India, synonym Vipra. Bráhmiicitta Macrocosmic ectoplasm. caetanya Consciousness. GLOSSARY 433 carká Spinning wheel. caturbhútas Four fundamental factors, namely: kïiti (earth), apa (water), teja (fire) and marut (air). caturtattva The theory of the four fundamental factors. caturvaròa Literally, “four varòa”; four social classes: shúdra, kïatriya, vipra and vaeshya. Adj: cáturvaròika, as in cáturvaròika social system. catuïpáíhiis Vedic schools or education centres. chátra Literally, “jurisdiction”; students learning under the jurisdiction of a particular teacher. citta Done “I”, objective “I”, objective mind, mind-stuff. cittánu Ectoplasmic mind-stuff. dána Gifts. darshana Literally, “philosophy”. Dáyabhága A system of inheritance, once prevalent in northeastern India, in which the heir’s right of inheritance was subject to the discretion of the father, who had the right to disinherit any of the heirs. dharma Characteristic property; spirituality; the path of righteousness in social affairs. dharmacakra Collective meditation; Buddha’s “wheel of dharma”. Dharmamahá Cakra A spiritual congregation addressed by the author (abbreviated as “DMC”). dharma ráïíra Religious state, theocratic state. dharma sádhaná Developing one’s spiritual potential, a spiritual way of life. dharma yuddha The war of dharma. dhyána mantra A Sanskrit verse listing the attributes of a deity, to be used for visualizing that deity in meditation. duhkha Suffering. duhkhaváda Literally, “the doctrine of pessimism”, that is, the four noble truths of Buddhist philosophy. durlakïaòa A bad omen. ekádashii The eleventh day after the new moon or full moon, days on which fasting is especially advantageous. 434 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 gati vijiôána The science of dynamics in Prout, a sub-theory in Proutistic theory. giitá Song. gotra Clan. guó Raw sugar, boiled sugar-cane juice. guru bhái Disciples of the same guru.

Hiinayániis, Sthaviravádiis or Therávádiis Followers of the southern school of Buddhism.

Iishvara Literally, “the Controller of all controllers”; the Cosmic Controller. itihása The aspect of history that focuses on the progress of human society and has educative value; cultural history. itikathá The aspect of history that focuses on the chronological record of past events; factual history. jaìa Matter. jaìabuddhi Crude intellect, intellect ensconced in matter. jaìasphoía Structural dissociation. jagat The physical world, universe. játa bhái Members of the same caste. jiiva An individual being. jiivátmá, jiivátman See átman. jiiviká Occupation. jiôána Knowledge, understanding. jiôániis Intellectuals. káma Physical longing. kaoïikii A spiritual dance invented by the author on 6 September 1978. káraòa Cause, as in cause and effect. karma Action, positive or negative action that produces saîskáras. karma yoga A form of spiritual practice that emphasizes selfless action. karmaphala The reactions of action. GLOSSARY 435 karmaváda The doctrine of action and reaction of the Bhagavad Giitá. kárya Effect, as in cause and effect. kathá A long story. kathániká A short story. kathányása A novel; a long fictional story. kavi Seer. kázii A Muslim judge. kevalá bhakti One-pointed devotion. khadi Hand-spun cloth. kiirtana Devotional singing, chanting the name of God. kránti Evolution. kriyá káòìa Vedic rituals. Krïòa The historical Krïòa of about 3,500 played two roles. In his early youth he awakened the spiritual ardour and devotion of all those living in Gokula and Vrindavana. As an adult, as a great leader and king, he played a pivotal role in a military campaign (known as the Mahábhárata) to fight against those doing evil in society and to unify India. Philosophically, the word Krïòa has been used in many ways, particularly to represent Puruïottama. krïíi Culture, in a general sense. Also, saîsktri. kïaòika Transient. kïatriya Written as kïatriya, a person whose mentality is to dominate over matter, a member of the warrior class; written as “Kïatriya”, a member of the second-highest caste in India. Kïatriya Age The warrior age. kusaîskárii Evil. madhyavitta samája Middle class; poor people who have the minds of kïatriyas or vipras; see also vikïubdha shúdras. maktabas Muslim schools. Mahábhárata Literally, “Great India”; the name of a military campaign guided by Krïòa around 3,500 years ago to fight against those doing evil in society and to unify India; the epic poem written by Maharshi Vyása about this campaign. mahápuruïa A spiritual being. 436 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Mahásadvipra Literally, “Great Sadvipra”; the creator of sadvipras. Mahásambhúti When Táraka Brahma utilizes the five fundamental factors to express Himself through a body, this is known as His Mahásambhúti. Mahásaîghikas or Maháyániis Followers of the northern school of Buddhism. mahat, mahattattva “I” (“I am”, “I exist”) feeling, existential “I”. mahátmá An elevated soul. Maháyániis or Mahásaîghikas Followers of the northern school of Buddhism. mánava Contemplative being. mánuïa Contemplative being. Máyá Creative Principle, Prakrti in Her phase of creation. Also, the power of the Creative Principle to cause the illusion that the finite created objects are the ultimate truth. Máyáváda Doctrine of illusion. milita snána Collective bathing. mohana vijiôána Supra-aesthetic science. mokïa Emancipation. mudrá Gesture. mukti Liberation.

Námakaraòa Baby naming ceremony. nandana vijiôána Aesthetic science. Náráyaòa Literally, “the Lord of Nara (Prakrti)”; the Supreme Entity. nástikas Atheists. nástika mata The school of atheism. náíáyana Literally, “drama”, a form of literary presentation. niiti Morality. Nirguòa Brahma Non-Qualified Brahma, or Supreme Entity. Niyama Literally, “observances”; a moral code, spiritual morality, cardinal moral principles, the five moral observances. niyoga prathá Fathering a child by a woman other than one’s wife. nrtya Dance.

GLOSSARY 437 paiôcabhútas Five rudimental or fundamental factors: ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid. panchayat A jurisdiction covering several adjacent villages; the administrative system of such villages. pápa Vice, sin. Paramártha That which provides permanent relief from suffering. Paramátmá, Paramátman Supreme Consciousness in the role of witness of His own macropsychic conation. Paramátman comprises: 1) Puruïottama, the Macrocosmic Nucleus; 2) Puruïottama’s association with all creation in His extroversial movement (prota yoga); 3) Puruïottama’s association with each unit creation individually (ota yoga); and 4) with all collectively (prota yoga) in His introversial movement. Parama Pitá Cosmic Father. Paramá Prakrti Supreme (Cosmic) Operative Principle. Parama Puruïa Supreme (Cosmic) Consciousness. paráshakti The primordial phase of linguistic expression. paravidyá Spiritual knowledge. parikránti Peripheric evolution – one rotation of the samája cakra, from one shúdra revolution to the next shúdra revolution. país Paintings. paíuyás Painters. pisháca Literally, “one who breaks the neck of an animal and then sucks out all the blood, leaving only the flesh and bones”. pisháca vaeshyas Blood-sucking vaeshyas; vaeshyas who (colloquially speaking) sometimes kick the heads of their customers and sometimes lick the soles of their feet. pishácavats Ghouls. Prabhát Saîgiita Literally, “Songs of the New Dawn”; a collection of 5018 songs composed by the author. pracar Propagation. pragati Progress. Prakrti Supreme (Cosmic) Operative Principle. pralaya The annihilation of the world. Philosophically, pralaya means annihilation, but in individual life pralaya refers to spiritual emancipation, not physical death. pramá Dynamic equilibrium and equipoise. 438 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 pramáòa Validation, which is of three kinds: pratyakïa, direct perception; anumána, inference; and ágama, authority. práòa dharma The cardinal characteristics of a person which differentiate one person from another; the innate characteristics of people’s existence, especially their collective psychological and cultural structures. práòa shakti Vital energy. prápta vákya Relative knowledge. pratisaiôcara In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to the Nucleus Consciousness. prativiplava Counter-revolution. prema Literally, “love”; the true characteristic of prema is supra- physical, beyond the bondage of any limitation; divine love. preya Sensory pleasure. pseudo-vaeshyas Those vipras whose economic intellect is awakened during the Vaeshya Age, and towards the end of the Vaeshya Age their dominance of society becomes evident. puòya Virtue. puráòa Mythological story with a moral import; educative fiction. purodhás Spiritual vanguard. Puruïa Consciousness. Supreme (Cosmic) Consciousness, the consciousness of the Cosmos, is Parama Puruïa, and a unit consciousness is an aòu puruïa, or simply puruïa. Puruïottama Nucleus Consciousness, the witness of saiôcara (extroversion from the Nucleus) and pratisaiôcara (introversion to the Nucleus). rága A classical melody. rágánuga bhakti Attributional devotion. rágátmiká bhakti Non-attributional devotion. ráginii A classical melody. Rámáyaòa An epic poem of India, which is the mythological story of King Ráma, or Ramchandra. ripus Literally, “enemies”, underlying mental weaknesses. Also, ïaìaripus. GLOSSARY 439 rïis Pioneers of human welfare; those who, by inventing new things, broaden the path of progress of human society.

Ïaìadarshana Six major schools of orthodox Indian philosophy, namely: Kápila Sáîkhya; Pátaiôjala Darshana (Pátaiôjala philosophy), also known as Hindu Yoga Darshana; Gaotama Nyáya; Kaòáda Nyáya, also known as Vaesheïika; Púrva Miimáîsá, or Early Miimáîsá philosophy; and Uttara Miimáîsá, or Later Miimáîsá philosophy. According to orthodox tradition, all these schools are theist, although Kápila Sáîkhya is actually atheist. sádhaka Spiritual aspirant, spiritual practitioner. sadhana Literally, “sustained effort”; spiritual practice; spiritual meditation. Also, sádhaná, as in Brahma sádhaná. sádhu Literally, “honest”. Virtuous person; spiritual aspirant; renunciant. ïaìaripus Literally, “six enemies”, underlying mental weaknesses, namely: káma (physical desire); krodha (anger); lobha (avarice); mada (vanity); moha (blind attachment or infatuation); and mátsarya (jealousy). Also, ripus. sadvipras Those established in Yama and Niyama and imbued with Cosmic ideation; spiritual revolutionaries. Saguòa Brahma Qualified Brahma, or Supreme Entity. sáhitya Literally, “that whose characteristic is to move with the tends of life”; also literally, “that which co-exists with hita (welfare)”; literature (see also taíastha sáhitya and yuga sáhitya). sáhityika One who writes with the thought of the welfare of all humanity uppermost in his or her mind. saiôcara In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step extroversion and crudification of consciousness from the Nucleus Consciousness to the state of solid matter. samája Society samája cakra Social cycle. samája gurus Those capable of leading the entire society by virtue of their extraordinary talent and ability; outstanding educators. samálocaná Literally, “criticism”; constructive literary criticism. 440 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2 sama-samája tattva The principle of social equality. saîgiita Literally, “music”; the combination of giitá-vádyá-nrtya, song, instrumental music and dance respectively. saîkránti or yuga saîkránti Transitional age. saîskára Mental reactive momentum, potential mental reaction. saîsktri Culture, in a good sense. Also, krïíi. sannyása marga The path of renunciation. sannyásii m. or sannyásinii f. Literally, “one who has surrendered one’s everything to the Cosmic will” or “one who ensconces oneself in Sat, the Unchangeable Entity”; a renunciant. samája Society. samája cakra Social cycle. samája gurus Those who are capable of leading society by virtue of their extraordinary talent and ability; outstanding educators. satyágraha humanistic appeals; the principles of truth and non- violence as defined by the Gandhian movement founded by Mahatma Gandhi. sáttvikii shánti Sentient peace. savikalpa samádhi Qualified Cosmic absorption. Shakti Energy; Prakrti; a deification of Prakrti. shástra Literally, “scripture”; more broadly, a guiding entity, whether a person or a book. Shiva A great Tantric guru of 7,000 years ago who guided society while his mind was absorbed in Consciousness; hence Infinite Consciousness, Puruïa. Also, Sadáshiva. Shiva-liuôga Originally a phallic symbol, but later given philosophical significance as “the Entity from which all things originate”. shloka Couplet. Shráddha Kriyá Funeral ceremony. shreya Blissful spiritual union. shúdra Written as shúdra, a person with a mentality of physical enjoyment only, a member of the labourer or worker social class; written as “Shúdra”, a member of the lowest caste in India. Shúdra Age The age of physical labourers; primitive society. Sthaviravádiis, Therávádiis or Hiinayániis Followers of the southern school of Buddhism. GLOSSARY 441 svabháva Natural tendency; the true nature of humanity. svábhávika parivarttana Natural change. támasikii shánti or tamoguòii shánti Static peace. tamoguòii shánti or támasikii shánti Static peace. táòìava A spiritual dance invented by Shiva. Tantra A spiritual tradition that originated in India in prehistoric times and was first systematized by Shiva, 7,000 years ago. It emphasizes the development of human vigor, both through meditation and through confrontation of difficult external situations, to overcome all fears and weaknesses. Also, a scripture expounding that tradition. tantraváda The doctrine of Tantra. Táraka Brahma Supreme Consciousness in Its liberating aspect. taíastha sáhitya Coastal literature; taíastha, “coastal”, refers to the “coastline” or “shoreline” between the temporal and the eternal; literature that is ahead of its time. Therávádiis, Hiinayániis or Sthaviravádiis Followers of the southern school of Buddhism. Tripiíaka Three groups of Buddhist teachings compiled in three parts: 1) Vinaya, the practical side; 2) Sutta, the theoretical side; and 3) Abhidhamma, the philosophical side.

Upanishads A book complied from the spiritual portions of the Vedas. vádyá Instrumental music. vaeshya Written as vaeshya, a person of acquisitive mentality, a member of the capitalist social class; actually means: “those who produce through various occupations”, but nowadays means: “those who profit by trading and broking without being directly involved in production”; written as “Vaeshya”, a member of the second-lowest caste in India. Vaeshya Age The capitalist age. varòa Social class; mental colour. vicára Literally, “a particular type of mental process to ascertain the truth”; justice. 442 PROUT IN A NUTSHELL 2

Vidyámáyá Centripetal or introversial force; force of attraction to the Nucleus Consciousness; aspect of the Cosmic Operative Principle that guides movements from the crude to the subtle. vikára Transformation. vikránti Counter-evolution. vikïubdha shúdras Disgruntled shúdras; the kïatriya-minded and vipra-minded shúdras who emerge in the Vaeshya Age in the lead up to shúdra revolution. vikïubdha vaeshyas Disgruntled vaeshyas; those rich vaeshyas who, once stripped of their power, will stoop to any means to try and regain it. viplava Revolution. vipra Written as vipra, a person who controls others by his or her wits, a member of the intellectual social class; written as “Vipra”, a member of the highest caste in India, synonym Brahman. Vipra Age The intellectual age. vishva bháïá Universal or world language. vrtti Literally, “that which keeps something alive”; mental propensity; occupation. yajiôa Ritual sacrifice. Yama Literally, “regulated conduct”; moral code, spiritual morality, cardinal moral principles, the five abstinences or principles of regulated conduct. yuga sáhitya Epochal literature; literature that expresses in clear terms the demands of an age. yuga saîkránti or saîkránti Transitional age. yugasandhi Transitional period. yuga shilpii Artists of a particular era. zamindar, zamindary Landlord; the system of land ownership and management that was prevalent in India until quite recently.