BÁBÁ’S GRACE

Spiritual Discourses by Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti

Copyright © 2006 Ánanda Márga Publications Ánanda Márga Pracáraka Saḿgha (Central) All rights reserved

www.anandamarga.org Contents

 Introduction          4  Short Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide      6 1  The Lord’s Play         7 2  The God of Human Beings        9 3  Mantra Caetanya         14 4  Vibration, Form and Colour        23 5  Rudra           42 6  Spiritual Practice and the Cosmic Science (Sádhaná and Madhuvidyá) 46 7  Parama Puruśa and His Creation       51 8  The True Devotee         61 9  The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 3      62 10  Yajina̭ and Karmaphala        76 11  He is Everywhere         85 12  The Divine Will         88 13  You Live According to God’s Desire      90 14  Dagdhabiija          92 15  Parama Puruśa         95 16  Occult Powers or Parama Puruśa?      101 17  Brahma Krpáhi Kevalam       103 18  God is with You        106 19  Your Personal Relationship with God     107 20  Properly Utilize Yourself to Reach God     109 21  The Bliss of the Devotee       110 22  Knowledge and Progress       112 23  Safeguards Against the Defects of Jinána and Karma   117 24  Longing for the Great       121 25  Máyá and Mokśa        125 26  One and Zero        128 27  Bhaktitattva         129 28  Movement Towards Perfection is Dharma     139 29  Desire and Detachment       140 30  The Lord’s Feet        152 31  Stages of Samádhi        154 32  Self-Transcendence        158 33  Niiti and Dharma        160 34  The Sound of God        168 35  Astitva and Shivatva        170 36  The Call of the Supreme        176 37  I Am Yours         182 38  Surrender         183  Glossary         185 Introduction

Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti is the spiritual guide for millions of spiritual aspirants all over the world. He is called Bábá, which means “beloved”. From His early childhood, men and women of all ages have been drawn to Him by the power of His love. Living an ordinary life, as a child, as a schoolboy, as a railway officer in a small town in India, at the same time He taught many sincere seekers how to realize the Truth within themselves. Soon the number of His disciples was multiplying so rapidly that He began to train others to teach the practices of self-realization; and thus the organization Ánanda Márga, the Path of Bliss, was founded, and spread rapidly all over the world.

Those who follow His teachings find their lives transformed; the confining walls of their egos dissolve and an all-embracing cosmic feeling begins to fill their hearts. They begin to look on all people as brothers and sisters, as the manifestations of the Supreme. They want to serve those manifestations. They cannot bear to see others in pain, and they want to share with all the bliss which they themselves enjoy. From Hong Kong to Buenos Aires to New York, many people are working tirelessly in the service of humanity, motivated by His indescribable love.

In these discourses Baba speaks of the journey of the Soul. The journey begins with Abso- lute Consciousness, the pure essence, Parama Puruśa, God. Due to the force of the Cosmic Energy, Prakrti, that Supreme Essence is transformed into this vibrational, manifested world, into “crude” matter. And then the return journey home begins. The creation, drawn by that supreme attractive force of the Cosmic Nucleus – the power of love – gradually evolves again into subtler and subtler entities, with higher and higher expressions of con- sciousness: unicellular organisms, plants, animals, higher animals, and finally man, the most evolved manifestation of that Consciousness.

At a certain point in his evolution, there awakens inside of man a desire to know himself, to know his purpose in life. When this desire awakens, he is ready to begin sádhaná, the “effort of completion,” the practices of meditation by which he will accelerate his evolu- tion and hasten his journey home to the pure Consciousness from which he came. When this desire awakens in him, his guide appears, the teacher who will lead him forward on the path of realization. Guru means “dispeller of darkness,” and the Master does exactly that; with His own divine powers, He clears the clouds from His beloved disciples’ minds. He helps them transcend all their negative tendencies so that their true nature – divine perfection – may shine forth from within. For the Guru is verily the perfect expression of that Supreme Consciousness. It is God who in the form of the Guru is drawing His beloved children to Himself. As the disciple progresses more and more on the path of realization, as his perfect nature flowers more and more within him, he feels the pervasiveness of love – God’s love, the Guru’s love, love within himself – and in ecstasy he sees love every- where. God, the Guru, his innermost self, and all creation, all become one.

4 The devotee reaches this sublime state by His Grace alone. For the devotee, His Grace is all.

Note: The author’s use of the word “man” is usually intended in the general sense, i.e. “human”, and the use of him or his or he, etc. (lower case) similarly refers to both genders.

5 Short Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide

Sanskrit is the language of the terminology (and mantras) of Ánanda Márga practice and philosophy. A short guide to Sanskrit pronunciation using Roman Samskrtá (Sanskrit) script is given below.

• a is pronounced as the “u” in “us” • á is pronounced as the “a” in “father” • i is pronounced as in “bit” • ii is pronounced as the “ee” in “beet” • u is pronounced as in “put” • ú is pronounced as the “oo” in “boot” • e is pronounced as in “net” • ae is pronounced as the “a” in “made” • o is pronounced as in “top” • ao is pronounced as the “o” in “owl” • ḿ is pronounced as the “ng” in “sing” • n ̭ is pronounced as a nasal sound at the back of the throat • t,́ d́, and ń are pronounced with the tongue at the top of the mouth • c is pronounced as the “ch” in “child” • ph is pronounced as the “f” in “father” • sh is pronounced as in “she” • all other consonants followed by an “h” are aspirated (i.e. the original sound of the consonant followed by a “ha” sound) • s ́ is pronounced between “sh” and “s” • y is pronounced as “j” at the beginning of a word and “ia” in the middle or at the end of a word • v is pronounced as “v” at the beginning of a word and “w” in the middle of a word • jiná̭ is pronounced “gyá”, as in jinána̭ (pronounced “gyána”)

6 The Lord’s Play

There is a single entity, or personality, in this universe. Apparently you are many, but fun- damentally you are one. The one is manifested in the many.

The word khila in Sanskrit means a “latch”. Akhila therefore means “that which cannot be contained or closed”, that is, this universe. The creation of this universe – the substance of this universe is one, though the creation is manifold. Why this creation of one into many? The reply is only with the Creator, the Supreme Lord. Philosophers try to answer this ques- tion but fail; how far can a microcosmic brain with its small nerve fibres go? Even if an individual utilizes all his or her mental powers, that individual will not succeed in an- swering. The devotee’s approach to this question is, however, different. The devotee enters God’s mind, mingles his or her mind with that of the Supreme Being, and knows some of the secrets of God’s mind from within.

The devotees say God is Supreme. They sing His glory and defend all His actions. That is why God says, “My devotees are greater than Myself.” A common person says, “Oh, God, we are tired of your liilá. What is the need of it? We are all suffering and you call it a play.” The devotee, however, defends God with this: “My Lord was utterly alone before the crea- tion. A person becomes mad if he or she is alone in a big vacant house. God was restless before the creation. He could neither love, nor feel angry with, anyone. So creation was a compulsion. He has created all these forms by multiplying Himself. When God was alone, He had the power to see, but there were no objects to be seen. Now that He has started the creation, He sees whatever He thinks. If we are His own forms and feel a little restless- ness in His creation, we are blessed, for we are saving our Lord from the restlessness of utter loneliness.”

This is the way a devotee looks at the secret of creation. We are all part of that Supreme Being – He is playing with Himself in all our forms. This is a divine play. He is playing hide-and-seek with Himself. Search Him in your little “I” feeling and you will find the King of kings there. In fact, the name of this search is sádhaná.

If you do not go within, do you want to go out? But where will you go, since He is every- where in this universe and surrounds this universe? You cannot go outside of Him. He is there within and without – in your small “I” as well as in this big universe. He alone is a Single Entity pervading all forms.

By thinking of Him one becomes free from all kinds of bondages such as fear, etc.; and one who is free from bondages is He Himself. Knowing Him is being Him. This is the way of establishing oneself with Him, of becoming the Single Entity – by transcending the many forms.

Doing sádhaná, becoming one with this Single Entity, is your birthright, which no one can snatch from you. Kick all obstacles from your path of becoming one with Him. Do not feel afraid of anybody. The Lord is with you. He will guide you forward. Victory is yours.

7 23 May 1969 evening, Ranchi

8 The God of Human Beings

The yogi says there is hardly any difference between the terms “God” and “bliss”. It is just like two names, “water” and “aqua”, used for the same entity. The yogi says, “What is God? He is bliss. He is ánanda.” And the functional side of this Supreme Father is, every- thing cometh from Him and goeth back to that Supreme Entity. And what is that Supreme Entity? It is ánanda.

God is the Generator, He is the Operator, and He is the benevolent Destructor: G-O-D. What is God? As Operator He is the controller also. The operator of a machine must have control over that machine. He must be a controller. And this controller is not only an ordi- nary mechanic, He is a great Magician, because He creates everything in His mind.

The magician creates so many things in his mind, and the spectators say, “Oh, he is a great magician.” But actually, these spectators are befooled. Their mental attachment goes to- ward the created objects and not toward the magician. But they should know that those created objects are of temporary nature. The magician is the truth.

So this controller is a great Magician: He is creating every- thing within His mind. And for those created beings, the mental world of this Magician appears to be a physical one.

Suppose you create a candle in your mind and a man in your mind. You know that both the candle and the man are of mental creation, are purely mental, not physical. They are within your mind. But for your mental man, your mental candle is a reality. Similarly, for you this world is a physical reality. But for that Supreme Magician, everything is transitory. So He is a magician and has control over the entire universe.

Now what is God, again? The yogi says, “He who has got occult powers, all the occult powers, all the faculties, is God.” Unless and until one possesses all the occult powers, how can one control the universe? The occult powers are eight in number. He who is the owner of all these occult powers is known as Iishvara in Sanskrit. And why is God called Iishvara? He can see [and do] everything. He can go to any place without the help of any organ.

Another explanation by the yogi regarding who God is: “He who remains unassailed, un- affected, by actions and reactions. He who requires no shelter, He who is the shelter of all, of everything – He is God.” Another explanation by the yogi is that the universe is a col- lection of so many electrons, protons and positrons, and the Supreme Controller is God.

You have only two eyes, and those eyes can function only where there are light waves in the external world. Where light waves are lacking you cannot see. But He has infinite eyes, and all those eyes are functioning within, because there is nothing without Him. Eve- rything is within Him. In order to see your mental picture, do you depend on external eyes? No.

9 For you there are two worlds, internal and external. But in His case everything is internal. You are within His mind, and whatever you are seeing, whatever you are doing, whatever you are going to do, everything, is being done within His great mind. There is nothing ex- ternal. “Oh, my child, oh, my little child, why did you commit such a sin?” You cannot say, “No, Father, I didn’t commit a sin,” because you are in His mind. He sees internally with- out the help of any eyes, because you are His mental creation, you are within His mind.

He is omnipresent; He is everywhere. The movement of a grain of sand is as important to Him as the movement of an atom bomb, as the movement of a megaton bomb. For Him there is nothing unimportant. You cannot be unimportant for Him. The Father is always with you. And because of His omnipresence there is one advantage and one disadvantage. What is the advantage? The advantage is, the Supreme Father is always with you, you are never alone. You must not be afraid of anybody because He is always waiting to save you. And the disadvantage is – that He is always with you, and therefore it is very difficult for you to do anything unpleasant, anything undesirable. This is the difficulty. The universe is surrounded by Him. Whatever you do, your doing is witnessed by Him. You cannot think secretly.

Máyá is that force which creates the illusion of this physical reality. It is the Operative Principle of God. Now this Máyá, it is insurmountable for an ordinary human being, for a non-sádhaka. A person who is not a spiritual aspirant is to serve Máyá as a slave. This is the case with all animals, with all brutes, and with all people of an animal temperament. Now, what is intuitional practice? What is yogic practice? Its purpose is just to overcome the influence of Máyá. This Operative Principle, the influence of Máyá, is just like a sa- tanic chain, just like a serpentine noose, of afflictions and predicaments. One has to free oneself from this serpentine noose. And this is done through yogic sádhaná. When the yogi comes in close contact with the Supreme Father, the Lord says, “Oh, my child, it is very difficult for a person to overcome the influence of this Máyá. Máyá is insurmount- able. But he or she who has taken shelter in Me, who has [ensconced] himself or herself in Me, who has taken shelter on My lap, will surely go beyond the influence of this Máyá.”

Unless and until you have developed implicit faith and sincere love for that Supreme Fa- ther, you will not become one with Him, you will be bound by this Máyá. Now, when do people begin to feel that they should love the world? When they free themselves from evil, from egotistic sentiments. But they will say, “They say God is gracious, but I am an unfor- tunate person, I am not realizing His grace”. There are many persons who talk like this, but you know, my boys, you know, my daughters, there is no partiality in Him. His heavenly shower of grace is for all. He is for every creature. But one feels His grace and another does not. What is the reason? There is a heavenly shower of grace. But suppose that you are holding an umbrella over your head. Will you be drenched by that shower? Oh, no. They who want to enjoy this shower of grace must remove this umbrella of ego over their heads, and they will be drenched by the divine shower. So spiritual aspirants, yogis, must give up all their egotistic sentiments. And in the next moment they will be in the proximity of the Supreme Father.

10 One is to get Him, to come in contact with the Divine Father, through jinána,̭ karma and bhakti. What is jinána?̭ Jinána̭ is spiritual knowledge, not mundane knowledge. Mundane knowledge is distorted knowledge. It is not knowledge at all. Spiritual knowledge is the real knowledge. But what is spiritual knowledge? One must know what one is, what one’s goal is. This is the spiritual knowledge. Then comes karma. Karma means “action”. But if one knows what one is, what one’s desideratum is, then one will have to move towards one’s goal. One will have to do something practical and move towards one’s goal. This movement, this practical approach, this actional approach, is called karma. And then when, after karma, one comes near to Him, one will be united or unified with Him. This process of unification is devotion, bhakti.

Bhakti yoga can be divided into two broad categories: one is attributional devotion, and the other is non-attributional devotion. In attributional devotion there are three stages. The first one is the stage of static devotion. In static devotion, the devotee says, “O my Lord, I am your devotee. Mr. Y is my enemy. Please destroy Him.” In the case of static devotion, the devotee doesn’t want to be with the Lord. The devotee wants something bad or harsh done to his or her enemy. That is devotion of the worst type. As it was not the person’s longing to become one with the Father, that person never will become united with the Fa- ther. And also, the Supreme Father is the Supreme Father of the enemy also. So He may or may not kill that enemy. Static devotion is no devotion.

Then comes mutative devotion. In this case the devotee says to the Lord, “I am your devotee. Please give me money. Please give me name and fame.” A boy wants toys from his mother. If the boy starts crying for his mother, the mother must leave her duties and at- tend to the child. But if the child just wants the toys, he will never get [the mother]. Here also, the devotee in the example didn’t express the desire to become one with the Father, so he won’t attain salvation. He won’t become a devotee. (Yogii means “one who finally comes into unification with the Supreme Self”.) Also, this person asked for worldly prop- erty. Now you know that worldly properties are limited. The number of dollars in the world is very large, but it is not infinite. So the Lord may or may not fulfil such a desire. He has to look after the interests of so many children. He cannot fulfil your unjustified de- mand. So this mutative devotion is not devotion at all.

Now comes the third kind of devotion – of attributional devotion – called sentient devo- tion. In this case the person says, “I am your devotee. But, oh, Lord, I am an old man. Give me something concrete. I want salvation. And You know I am disgusted with the world. My digestive organs have become disordered. I can’t eat anything. Please give me peace. Please give me peace.” It is a sentient devotion because here the aspirant, the devotee, does not want anything physical. So it is better than static or mutative devotion. But it is also a very bad type of devotion. It is no devotion, because the person wants salvation from the Supreme Father, but he doesn’t want the Supreme Father. So he is not a yogi. A yogi has to unify himself with the Father. A yogi will not demand any toys from the Father.

Then there comes non-attributional devotion. In non-attributional devotion there are two phases. One is called rágánugá bhakti; the other is called rágátmiká bhakti. In rágánugá devotion, the devotee says, “O my Lord, I love You because in loving You I get pleasure. I

11 want nothing from You. I want to love You because I get pleasure.” It is non-attributional devotion, but it is still not the highest form of devotion.

The highest form of devotion is called rágátmiká. In rágátmiká the devotee says, “O Lord, I love You. I want to love You. And why do I want to love You? Because I want my love to give You pleasure. I love You not to get pleasure but to give You pleasure.” This is the high- est form of devotion. And by dint of this type of devotion, rágátmiká devotion, the yogi comes in closest contact with the Supreme Self and becomes one with Him. When the devotee’s love is to give pleasure to the Lord and not to enjoy pleasure for himself or her- self, the person’s mind gets subjectivated. That is, the mind gets metamorphosed into the mind of the Lord. And that’s why this rágátmiká devotion is the only devotion. And through this devotion, the yogi gets established in the stance of supreme beatitude. The person and the person’s God become one. It is the only goal of human life – to become one with Him.

When one comes near the Supreme Father, he or she has to address the Father, “O Father, give me shelter on Your blissful lap, on Your graceful lap.” To say this, one has to establish a relationship of implicit faith and sincerest love with the Father. This implicit faith blended with spiritual zeal is called devotion. So knowledge and action are to help you in devel- oping devotion, but your unification with the Supreme Self will be established with the help of devotion only. So where there is action and where there is knowledge but where there is lack of devotion, nothing can be done. So in the life of a spiritual aspirant, in the life of a yogi, nothing can be done if there is want of devotion. So you daughters, you sons, you must remember that you will have to develop devotion, implicit devotion blended with spiritual zeal. And that devotion will help you. Devotion is the only faculty to help you, to establish you in the supreme beatitude.

Now this supreme Puruśa, for the blessed, for the virtuous, He is their Father. He is their supreme shelter. But for those who are not virtuous, those who are sinners, for them is He not the Father? Certainly He is the Father. He is the Father of the sinners also. Otherwise where are the sinners to go? He must give shelter to the sinners also. He knows the past of all His daughters and all His sons. Even then He loves them, doesn’t He? Suppose the Su- preme Father says that He is the Father of the virtuous only, not the Father of the sinners – then is He justified in this? Has He got the right to say this? Then the sinners will challenge His authority. They will say, “No, Supreme Father, you have no right to say You are not the Father of the sinners” – because when He is the Father of the universe, then do the sinners live out of the scope of the universe? No. Then the sinners may say, “O Father, if you are not the Supreme, if you are not our Father, in that case please expel us to some place out- side the universe.”

The Supreme Father, the Lord of the entire universe, is the Witness of all witnesses. He is the King of all kings.

“If even sinners ideate on me, accept me as their only object of ideation,” sayeth the Lord, “they will be freed from all worldly fetters, all worldly bondages.” Sinners must attain sal- vation, must be freed from all sins, all bondages of sin, by the Supreme Father. So for the virtuous and also for sinners, the Supreme Father is the only shelter. The Supreme Father is the only object of ideation. What are sinners to do? They are to forget their past, and they

12 are to move ahead on the path of spirituality to attain that supreme stance. To come in di- rect contact with the Supreme Father, you are to serve the universe as the ideal daughters and sons of the Supreme Father. You needn’t be anxious. You must not have any worries and anxieties about your personal problems. Your problems are to be solved by the Su- preme Father. You serve the children of the Supreme Father as the ideal daughters and ideal sons of that Father.

23 June 1968 DMC, Manila

13 Mantra Caetanya

Before we try to understand what a mantra is, let us be clear about shabda [sound]. Eve- rything in this manifest universe is vibrational. Creation is also vibrational. And the first and subtlest expression of the vibrational flow is shabda. As shabda is the first vibrational expression of Brahma, Shabda Brahma is the first expression of Kárya Brahma [Effect Brahma, Expressed Brahma]. The fundamental difference between Kárya Brahma and Kárańa Brahma [Causal Brahma] is that all vikásha, all expression, in Kárańa Brahma is purely svagata (subjective) and svarasátmaka (blissful). There is no paragata (objective) or pararasátmaka (extroversial) pleasure therein. Being purely subjective and blissful, it has no vyainjanátmaka̭ bháva, no exceptional quality. In other words, it is purely original and cannot [contain] any compound or mixture.

Prior to its practical emergence in the practical sphere, shabda was present in the realm of bháva, or ideas. And the starting point of shabda in the world of ideation is called paráshakti. Paráshakti exists both in the unit(1) and in the [Cosmos]. Although potentially paráshakti has full possibilities of expression, due to lack of a medium it does not get ex- pressed. It germinates into expression as soon as it finds a medium. And its vibrational ex- pression is shabda. In other words, we hear sound within and without when there is a mutual clash in the medium due to the formation of troughs and crests of various waves. This then is shabda.(2)

Kárańa Brahma [is represented] in Tantric scriptures by all the svaravarńa [vowel] sounds taken together. When those sounds are converted into action, that is, acquire the potential to form mixtures and compounds, they are called vyainjana̭ [consonants]. The diversity of creation is expressed through consonants, not through vowels. This is the logic behind the division of the Indo-Aryan alphabet into vowels and consonants.

What is a mantra? It has already been stated that the starting point of shabda, parábindu, exists both in the unit and in the [Cosmos]. In the flow of evolution, in the unit as well as in the cosmic, shabda is born out of pará. Pará is the womb of all sounds. A mantra is a collection of a few particular shabdas - not each and every shabda. Mantra means “that collection of sounds meditation on which leads to liberation” – Mananát tárayet yastu sah mantrah parikiirttitah. Man plus the root verb trae plus the suffix d́a make up the word mantra.

By way of illustration, suppose you are sitting somewhere and you do not have the strength to move. A gentleman happens to come that way. If you say to him, “Come, sir, let’s have a little talk,” that will not prompt the gentleman to lift you by the hand and sup- port your movement. If, on the other hand, you tell the gentleman, “Come, sir, I don’t have the strength to get up – please take my hand and lift me up,” it may bring about that result. Thus we get the result we desire by means of an appropriate expression in words. In this illustration the seed of the idea was the same at the level of pará, but due to two different formations of expression, different results were obtained. A given expression carries a par-

14 ticular meaning for you, as it expresses a particular feeling and it possesses a particular value. In other words, when a particular feeling is expressed through a particular combi- nation of sounds, it achieves a particular value. But even then it does not attain the status of a mantra.

Unless the shabda or the collection of shabdas, when meditated upon, leads to the path of liberation, it cannot be called a mantra. Every mantra is thus sonic or vibrational and is vibrating simultaneously in the cosmic system and in the unit body. When, with the help of a mantra, a person finally establishes the parallelism of the unit ectoplasmic vibration with the cosmic vibration, that person gets mantra siddhi.

And what is mantra caetanya, or the awakening of a mantra? Mantra caetanya is the con- dition where, with the help of a particular shabda, a person establishes parallelism be- tween his or her external physical vibration and his or her internal ectoplasmic vibration, and then raises this to the spiritual level.(3) And the culmination of this process in the achievement of the final spiritual goal is called mantra siddhi. The same shabda without being made “live” or awakened in the above process is meaningless; it acquires force and meaning when it becomes “live” in the aforesaid manner. The parallelism between the in- ternal ectoplasmic vibration and the external cosmic vibration can only be established when one has complete control over one’s own ectoplasmic vibration.

According to one’s saḿskáras, a person will be vibrated immediately by one shabda, but remain immune to the vibrations of another. Thus some people get angry when you say “Sitá-Rám” to them, but are pleased when you greet them with “Rádhe-Shyám”. Our atti- tude towards different shabdas becomes defined.

It will be noted that many writers repeat the use of particular words. Many, for instance, use the word “but” in every other sentence. All this happens because of their attachment to particular rhythmic vibrations. Similarly, when the vibrational expression is ectoplasmic, that is, when the individual gets equilibrated with the cosmic vibration, [cosmic] mantra caetanya takes place.

As already mentioned, not only human existence but every existence in this universe is vibrational. But the vibrations of each individual, of each object, differ from those of other objects. For instance, there is a difference between the vibrational expression of iron and that of gold. Just as the vibrations of a human differ from those of iron or gold, the vibra- tions between one human and another also differ. A person’s life is nothing but a mesh of multilateral rhythms, and the goal of human life is a singular Entity having no rhythm.

The style of a person’s speech represents a particular rhythm of his or her own. The way the person eats represents the rhythm of his/her own eating. Every person is thus special on account of these specialities. The rhythms of two individuals cannot be identical. An individual rhythm is the particular property of a particular person. It has been said in Ánanda Sútram:(4) Vaecitryam ́ prákrtadharmah samánaḿ na bhaviśyati [“Diversity, not identity, is the law of nature”]. In this universe every person in every action possesses a particular rhythm of his own. If someone wants to obstruct or strike that rhythm through disciplinary measures or expressions of anger, the person will not tolerate it. Personal lib-

15 erty – individual liberty – really means the unobstructed expression of individual rhythmic vibrations.

When with the help of one’s paráshakti (pará in the sense of the starting point of shabda and not in the context of pará and apará) a person coincides his or her individual rhythmic vibrations with the rhythmic vibrations in the realm of this quinquelemental universe, from that moment onwards his or her rhythms become vibrated with mantra caetanya. This is the awakening of, or putting life into, a mantra. Therefore Sadáshiva has said:

Caetanyarahitáh mantráh proktáh varńástu kevalam Phalaḿ naeva prayachanti lakśakot́ijapaerapi.

In order to make a mantra “live”, the individual rhythms have to be made parallel to the cosmic rhythms. Then the starting point of expression of the unit will have to be made to coincide with the starting point of expression in the cosmic field. “If this has not been done,” says the shloka, “even hundreds of thousands, even millions, of repetitions of the mantra will not lead to mantra siddhi.”

There are several essential factors to bring about mantra caetanya. The first is that the mantra should suit the saḿskára of the individual concerned. And the second is that the individual should feel a fraternal emotion for and attachment to the external world. This sentimental contact with the external world is a must. If someone is under the impression that “I am doing sádhaná for the sake of personal liberation and I have nothing to do with the world,” and thus denies his or her contact with external physicality, although the per- son’s physical body is very much in this world, the person is cheating himself and indulg- ing in selfishness. Service to humanity with a view to serve Parama Puruśa and with the same attachment which one feels towards oneself and Parama Puruśa is an essential pre- requisite for progress in sádhaná. This will establish the equilibrium and parallelism of the individual rhythms with the rhythms of the external physicalities.

The microcosm is in a dormant state, and the jiivabháva, the feeling of the unit state, is in a condition of slumber. The point where the jiivabháva, that is, the sense of the unit iden- tity, is locked, is called kula. Hence those who achieve perfection through sádhaná are called kaola. (Kaola, with this meaning, is also used as a surname.) Those who can move the collective ectoplasm through the medium of their ectoplasmic rhythm, can awaken new power in shabda through their own ectoplasmic strength. The awakening of this power in shabda is called purashcarańa in Sanskrit. And those who can perform such a tough task are called Mahákaola. They alone are worthy of the status of guru and no one else. When a Mahákaola awakens vibrations in the universal ectoplasmic body through the medium of particular shabdas, those shabdas [are also altered and] acquire the status of siddha mantras. A spiritual aspirant can only achieve perfection through the medium of those siddha mantras. Other mantras are not capable of leading to success, and spiritual aspirants cannot awaken them. A person’s individual efforts will never be sufficient for that task.

Every person has certain mental limitations. He or she can only proceed to a certain extent and then cannot do anything further. Further progress requires special power and special

16 grace. And this power and grace of God are always available for everyone. But people must use their existing strength in order to utilize that grace.

What is the range of these shabdas, whose troughs and crests are expressed in vibrational rhythms? The medium as well as the spirit of the human’s individual life are personal, but in the cosmic body, as well as in the case of less-developed creatures, the spirit is personal or individual but the medium is impersonal or cosmic. An existence where the medium is impersonal [or cosmic] but the spirit is individual is called an animal existence. In other words, any progress in the life of an animal is due to the vibrational power of Parama Pu- ruśa; the medium therefore is cosmic or impersonal, but the spirit is individual. The pro- gress which is attained through the personal spirit and impersonal medium is towards Parama Puruśa Himself. Therefore there is no chance of a spiritual fall in the life of an animal. Animals are set firmly on a path of gradual progress.

As the medium is impersonal, the growth in animals is from the crude to the subtle. But when due to engagement in subtler activities the medium also acquires individual influ- ence, when its [mental] colour and its feeling do not remain entirely impersonal, gradually thinking and intellect are born. We find this in developed animals. The transformation in a dog is due to the effect of the personal, or individual, medium on the impersonal medium; this does not occur in lower creatures.

There is a big difference between a wild Alsatian in a jungle and one who is a pet. The medium of the one is influenced by the impersonal, that of the other is under the impact of an educated person. When in a living being the influence of the personal or individual surpasses the influence of the impersonal [or cosmic], at that point the frame of that being can no longer be called animal but is called a human being. So this is the human status.

Due to one’s individual effort, pará gradually develops step by step into pashyantii, madh- yamá, [dyotamána], shrutigocará and vaekharii. These steps are from the subtle to the crude.

Similarly in the cosmic order, development is from the subtle to the crude, as the medium there is Universal Mind. The vibrational principle appears in the third phase of extroversial development. This vibrational principle is fully operative in matter and in the bodies and minds of undeveloped and underdeveloped creatures. The same vibrational principle functions in the human body when it starts from the point of pará and gets full extroversial expression. When a person will awaken caetanya in a mantra, that is, when he or she will do puraścarańa, he or she will move from negativity to positivity, from human parábindu to human sahasrára.

The starting point of the vibrational principle is the culminating or last point of the primor- dial principle. In other words, the last point of the primordial expression and the starting point of the vibrational faculty are one and the same. The movement after mantra caetanya is from the fundamental negativity to the fundamental positivity. In other words, this movement will be the reverse of the movement of the vibrational faculty; it will be from crude to subtle and not from subtle to crude. In the vibrational principle, the first crest and trough are far apart, and thereafter the distance becomes shorter and shorter. In spiritual

17 practice, the first troughs and crests will be frequent, and then the intervals will gradually lengthen till a straight line is formed. Thus, in the second phase, that is, in the returning phase, the vibrational principle will be reconverted into the primordial principle and the primordial principle or primordial faculty will ultimately convert itself into the basic faculty.(5) This movement, however, is only possible after the mantra has become [awak- ened], not before that.

Spiritual practice is essential for human beings; and for spiritual practice initiation is nec- essary. And those human beings who do not perform spiritual practice are under the influ- ence of the Cosmic Principle. They are guided by the cosmic rhythmic order, but as this is an impersonal entity they will never be able to enjoy liberation or salvation. So what is the way out? In what direction must they move after mantra caetanya? They have to do an about-turn and cross the three phases described above. They have to return to their origi- nal abode. They have to merge back into the One from where their existence sprang.

Ánando brahmeti byajánat Ánandádhyeva khalvimáni bhútáni jáyante Ánandena játáni jiivanti Ánandaḿ prayantyabhisaḿvishantiiti.

[Know ye that ánanda, bliss, is Brahma. It is out of ánandam that the five fundamental factors have emerged. All created beings live within ánandam, and finally merge with ánandam.]

What then is to be done? The scriptures say that you do not have to exert very much. I have said before that there can be no progress either in the realm of physicality or in the realm of intellectuality. Those who are hankering for progress in these fields are indulging in a self-cheating business. Whether they admit it or not, they know that they know noth- ing. Ask them whether they are getting pleasure in the realm of physicality. They will admit that they are not. Ask a good businessman whether he is earning good profits. His reply will be, “What profit? I am incurring losses.” This will be his reply whether you belong to Income Tax Department or not! To run after progress in the realm of physicality and intel- lectuality is utter foolishness, a waste of time, as there is no progress in these fields. But I have already said that you may make efforts in these directions provided you can convert or metamorphose them into spirituality. But as far as spiritual sádhaná is concerned, or as far as efforts to achieve bliss are concerned, there is no touch of pain in them, as bliss is infinite pleasure alone. Sádhaná then is what wise men have to do. And in sádhaná, the first thing to be done is to use mantra caetanya.

In simple words, what we have to do is to return home from where we came. We have all come from Parama Puruśa – the Supreme Entity – and from the práńa-kendra, the nucleus of the universe – that is, Puruśottama. We have to return to the same place. It is like a boy who has played throughout the day away in the fields, and now that evening comes, re- turns home. Sádhaná is the process of returning home. The child has played outside for the whole day. As evening approaches, he thinks, “Father must have returned home. Let me also return home and sit next to him.” When one is tired of this world and worldliness, one yearns to go back to spirituality, that is, to one’s home.

18 And what is our permanent abode – our home? It is Parama Puruśa paramáshrayah Shri- inivásah. Here shrii refers to the Universal Creative Faculty, or Paramá Prakrti. The abode of this Universal Faculty is also your abode. Therefore going home is a simple task. It re- quires no scholarship, no knowledge, no intellectual faculty – no long and tedious lectur- ing. The scriptures tell us to remember three points in order to return home. They are shra- vana [hearing about the Supreme], manana [ideating on the Supreme] and nidi-dhyásana [meditating on the Supreme with an unbroken flow of mind].

We know that the vibrational faculty converts subtler waves into cruder waves in the phase of creation. Hari kathá [devotional talk] provides subtler vibrations. You must allow your- self to receive these subtler waves. It has already been said that sound waves are the sub- tlest in the chain of cosmic expression. The importance of Hari kathá in spiritual develop- ment is great. Hearing about God is much more important than studies in spirituality, as sound is subtler than visual form. Therefore wherever there is an opportunity, listen to His name and speak it to others.

When you speak His name to others, you also hear it. This dual enjoyment in reciting His name is called kiirtana. Bhajana, on the other hand, is hearing His name by oneself.(6) You must do both – both bhajana and kiirtana. This is shravana. The effect of shravana is that vibrations of sound which are moving from crude to subtle are set in motion against the flow in the vibrational faculty, where wordly sounds are moving from subtle to crude. This will set in reverse motion a flow of sounds, and this will take one up to the starting point of the vibrational faculty.

I have already stated that the starting point of the vibrational faculty and the culminating point of the primordial faculty are one and the same. You will therefore reach the culmi- nating point of the primordial faculty. The vibrational phase is called bhava – also bhava ságara or bhava párávára [ocean of creation]. The word bhava thus denotes the entire realm of the vibrational principle. This is the world of mundane involvements. The Cae- tanya, or Cognitive Principle of this faculty is called Bhava, and the Shakti, or Operative Principle of this faculty is called Bhavánii Shakti. This is the worldly bondage. Only through the medium of Hari kathá can one cross this ocean of bhava, the entire range of the vibrational faculty.

Thereafter comes manana, that is, thinking only about Parama Puruśa and about no one else. If any other person or thing comes in the mind, ascribe Brahma-hood to that person or thing. This process is manana; you learn this process through the medium of Guru Mantra.(7) The effect of manana will be that it will take you from the last point of the pri- mordial principle or faculty, and gradually take you to the starting point of the primordial faculty.

At this point you meet the basic faculty or basic principle. The basic principle or faculty is a point in the unbalanced triangle of forces. It is situated at a particular vertex of the trian- gle of forces. Manana can take you up to that point. What is now left is the point of “I”- hood, the ego. Now we have to wipe out this “I”-hood.

19 All burdens, all confusions, all considerations of respect and disrespect, are connected to the “I”. When someone does not agree with you, you file a suit in court. Why do you take such trouble? Only to vindicate yourself. All bother and frustration is solely due to the unit ego. The fact is that even after surrendering everything to Parama Puruśa, your arch-enemy – the “I” – remains. Because you will say, “I have surrendered everything to God.” “I”, “I”, “I” – my friend, surrender that “I” to God. Then alone will your surrender be complete. All the trouble is due to this “I”.

Ratnákarastava grhaḿ grhińii ca padmá Deyaḿ kimapi bhavate Puruśottamáya Ábhiiravámanayanápahrtamánasáya Dattaḿ mana yadupate tvamidaḿ grháńa.

[Your abode is brimming over with gems and jewels. The goddess of fortune is Your house- keeper. What can I offer to You, O Lord? Oh yes, there is one thing You lack, as it has been stolen by Your devotees; it is Your mind. I therefore offer my mind to You. Please accept it.]

After the surrender of this “I”, Parama Puruśa is satisfied, as you have reached the central point in the triangle of forces.(8)

Actually, the only task to be performed is to give away everything to Him. All that you pos- sess – your body, your name, fame, wealth, everything – you have received from Him. So what are you to give to Him and how are you to do it? So far you were only giving God’s own things back to Him. What you must give Him now is something of your own. This is the crux of the matter. Suppose someone gives you a flower as a gift and you return the same flower to that person. This is not proper. Why not give your “I” to Him, which any- way to you is the source of all troubles, all confusions, all complications. There is nothing dearer to you than this “I”. It is most difficult to give it up. Thus in the above shloka, the devotee exclaims, “O Lord, this universe is Your abode. It is full of precious jewels. What- ever of value exists in this world belongs to You. What precious gift can I give to You? You have no desire for anything. What is the use of offering anything to one whose house is full of precious jewels? The almighty Prakrti is Your own consort; at Your will She will make innumerable jewels in a moment – aghat́ana ghat́ana pat́iiyasii Máyá [‘the dexterous hand of Máyá that can even create things impossible to create’] – this creative power is ever ready to serve You. O Lord of lords, although I have a yearning to offer You something, I do not know what that thing should be. Although I want to offer, You have no desire or want. If You lack nothing, what can I offer? If I knew of anything that You did not possess, I would offer it to You.

“O Lord of lords, we hear that Your great devotees have stolen Your mind from You. The Lord becomes the slave of his devotees. A devotee steals the heart of the Lord – almost forcibly. The deed is performed openly and not in secrecy. Therefore, O Lord, You lack one thing – You have no mind.”

The devotee says, “Despair not, O Lord, I am offering my mind to You. Please accept it.”

20 This offer of one’s mind to the Lord is nididhyásana. The inner sense of nididhyásana is that all the propensities of the mind are to be concentrated at a point to be offered to Parama Puruśa.

Today the human mind consists of fifty dominant propensities. Definitely when the human structure becomes more complex in the course of evolution, the number of these propen- sities will also increase. The number of these vrttis is not going to remain fifty forever. It will increase. Similarly, the number of glands will increase, and so also the number of sub- glands. Not only will the number of mental propensities increase; the propensities will also undergo change. The concept of beauty will also change with the change in outlook of the human mind. An owl may then appear beautiful and a peacock ugly.

Shravana therefore enables one to cross the vibrational faculty. Manana enables one to cross the primordial faculty. And nididhyásana makes it possible to merge with the Su- preme Entity. This is God-realization. The essential thing therefore is to awaken the mantra, whether one also does intellectual things such as reading and writing or not. What is im- portant is to have proper shravana, manana and nididhyásana. If one does this, one will no longer find it difficult to learn to do anything. Mantra caetanya is sure to lead to mantra siddhi, to the attainment of the supreme goal. The process of sádhaná will automatically arouse devotion.

When you come in close contact with the Supreme Entity, you will find that you have no wealth superior to devotion. All worldly possessions will prove of no avail. Only devotion enables you to come into close contact with Him. This is the goal of human life. This is true progress.

You have been wandering through the labyrinth of a myriad of lives. You have been ever advancing toward this stage. Knowingly or unknowingly, you are being drawn unto Him. This is the summum bonum of life. As long as you have not realized Him, there is no sid- dhi in your life.

28 May 1967 DMC, Allahabad

Footnotes

(1) Editors’ note: In the unit, before awakening, it is the “sleeping divinity”, or kulakuńd́alinii.

(2) Editors’ note: At this point in the original magazine publication of this discourse, some text appears to be missing.

(3) Editors’ note: To “raise to the spiritual level” is to establish the parallelism of unit and cosmic mentioned above.

(4) Editors’ Note: Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram, 1962.

(5) Editors’ note: The basic faculty is the starting point of the primordial principle, as mentioned below. That is, it is paráshakti, or parábindu.

21 (6) Editors’ note: Kiirtana, like bhajana, can be done individually, but it is preferable to do it collectively.

(7) Editors’ note: A lesson of Ánanda Márga meditation.

(8) Editors’ note: That is, you have progressed from the basic principle at one vertex of the triangle to Puruśo- ttama at the mid-point of the triangle.

22 Vibration, Form and Colour

Today’s discussion will be on “Vibration, Form and Colour”.

Vibration

From where does vibration come? Whenever an action takes place, its character is estab- lished by the nature of its waves and these waves are but vibrations, flowing through dif- ferent channels. The relative transposition of objects is what we call action. And this is why every action has vibrations due to its movement. Just as action is of many varieties, so is vibration. Every action has its own vibrations. The vibrations of two actions are not identi- cal. Had they been so, there would not have been any difference between the two actions. Vibrations occur according to the shock that emanates from a cardinal point, according to the type of action that takes place at that fundamental point. Have you ever thrown a stone into a pond and seen the result? According to the velocity or strength you apply of that stone, its vibrations also differ accordingly in wave-length and character. Here one more thing should be clearly understood and that is that the cause and controller of these vibra- tions also imbibes vibrations: it is also a vehicle of energy and not an inert, passive entity.

I will give you a good example of vibration in human body. Take, for instance, the case of anger. A great impact of a shocking provocation has taken place in your mind, as the result of which a great vibration or agitation has seized a particular portion of your brain. The next moment that agitation runs from your brain to your whole body through your nervous system with lightning speed. Then it can be understood that a paroxysm of rage has taken possession of your mind. As the result of this violent vibration in your nervous system, your face gets red and hot and your hands and feet tremble. None of your sensory or mo- tor organs, particularly your motor organs, can function properly and your words become jumbled. Those who stammer a little in their speech, become conspicuously more stam- mering. People’s judgment and intelligence with which they keep mean propensities in check, become dulled by the impact of these violent vibrations. A furious man, regardless of place, time and person, resorts to wilful and indiscriminate vituperation. As an after- math of this excessive physical and cerebral excitement, his brain becomes hot. He cannot think whether for right or wrong. His body and his internal glands begin to feel limp and depressed. His appetite forsakes him. Does it not happen like this?

Since in every action and in every entity there is vibration, human beings receive tanmátras (sensible or ultrasensible inferences) with the help of the vibrations emanating from an action as soon as it is performed, or from the presence of an object. Actually these vibrations themselves are tanmátras, for they carry the subtle, characteristic essence of an action or object and convey it to the sensory organs. Then again the vibrations of tanmátras of a sight or a scene which may sometimes be created by the motor organs, are received by the sensory organs of the perceiver. The various vibrations that we encounter in the world are divisible into five main tanmátras: sound, touch, form, taste and smell. We perceive them with the help of our sensory organs.

23 The perception of the difference in tanmátras is due to the differences in the vibrations, without the senses of sound, touch, etc. would lose their distinctive features. The vibra- tional lines in a record are made in a special way. When you bring into play those mute vibrational lines with the phonograph needle, a stir in the atmosphere is created which is but the reappearance of the original vibrations, the vibrations of sound waves, not those of touch, form, etc. That is why you hear the voice of the original reciter or singer, or the sound of the instrumentalists. As the form-waves were not recorded in the record, you cannot visually see the forms and features of the instrumentalists during their performance.

There is a sweet smell in the flower but it would have appeared odourless to you, had not the smell-tanmátras or waves been carried to the gates of your nose by the aerial vibra- tions. Then again you could not have sensed the existence of the airborne fragrance, had not sympathetic waves been created in your afferent nerves upon their contact with the fragrance-carrying breeze. Similarly you would not have sensed the sweetness of a deli- cious sweet, in spite of its contact with a particular region of your tongue, had not that contact created a particular type of vibration or sensation in your afferent nerves by means of your taste-organ.

The distinctiveness of vibrations or waves does not end here. After the contact of different types of things with the tongue, different types of contractions and expansions occur on different portions of the tongue and palate, as the result of which their respective vibra- tions are also different. It is because of these vibrational differences that chilli tastes pun- gent or hot, sugar tastes sweet and margosa tastes bitter. The interesting aspect of this is that we sometimes become confused and cannot distinguish one object from another if their vibrational differences are less. Such confusion sometimes arises between honey and molasses, among the seeds of tomato, chilli and brinjal, and between a genuine diamond and a fake diamond. In individual life many of you must have noticed that water tastes a little sweet after taking neem. Chemically, there is not very much difference between bit- terness and sweetness. By the vibrational influence of the hydrogen in the water, the bitter vibrations of the neem are turned into those of sweetness and we think that the water is sweet.

All that is comprehensible and graspable in the world is but a vibrational play. Just as the tanmátras of sound, touch, form, taste and smell are creating vibrations in our nerves by coming in contact with the gates of our sensory and motor organs, so our mind, being also similarly vibrated by these vibrations or waves, goes on transmuting the citta (mental plate) into the same forms of these waves. As a result we “see” elephants and horses, “hear” Pu- ravi and Bhaeravii rágas, “touch” hot and cold, “taste” bitter and sweet and “smell” shiulii and rajaniigandhá flowers.

Now consider this vast universe. What is the characteristic of this universe? The universe is the psychic manifestation of the Macrocosm: His mind-stuff is the universe, which we call the visible world. How did this Brahmic Citta come into being? The Citta is the static result of mental action. The apparently static or stationary entity that comes into being, as op- posed to those entities influenced by the sentient (sattva) and mutative (rajah) forces, is created by the static force (tamah) of Prakrti – which, whether it is original or born of

24 saḿskáras (past momenta), is nothing else but citta. The characteristic of the static force is to give form, to create or evolve resultants, to bring inertness or staticity. So citta, the re- sultative place of he mind, is dominated by the static force and takes the form of objects in the external world or objects created by the mind.

Wherever there is form, it is of momentary duration and of limited demarcation. The same holds true for the Cosmic Citta also. Hirańyagarbha or the Subjective Entity of the subtle Cosmic Mind is superlatively vast and in this way evolves the different fundamental fac- tors. So His mental plate is also limitless, but however great its manifestation, it does have a shape. There is an aura of thought-waves revolving around the Cosmic Nucleus or Pu- ruśottama, the nucleus of the Saguńa Brahma, as the result of which energy particles are created. The five fundamental factors – ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid and solid – are the sequential metamorphoses of these energy particles, so this quinquelemental cycle is the resultant of the cosmic thought-cycle; but this thought-cycle, too is the resultant of pure consciousness. Every revolution of that cycle is the playful manifestation of Prakrti that produces vibration sometimes in consciousness, sometimes in thoughts, sometimes in energy and sometimes in the so-called inanimate objects. This though-cycle, evolved in the Cosmic Nucleus, Puruśottama, is what is called the elliptical universe. All revolving material objects are controlled by both the centrifugal (avidyá) and centripetal (vidyá) forces; and as a result their totality looks somewhat elliptical. No matter how enormous the Cosmic Cycle is, it appears to be elliptical and thus it is called Brahmáńdá (Brahma or Supreme Entity: plus ańd́a or “egg”). Within the Cosmic Cycle every entity represents a different vibration; those small or great cycles, which revolve in a concordant harmony, keeping intact all their rhythms and tempos, are all modulated and attuned to the vast uni- versal vibration. Their microcosmic individual waves find their self expression and devel- opment in that very vast universal vibration.

How did this elliptical universe come into being? The Cosmic Citta is the material cause of the world. But the mind-stuff or citta finds expression or takes shape only when it comes in contact with psychic vibrations. So we may say that universe is the manifestation of the Cosmic Citta, born out of psychic vibrations. All the tanmátras of sound, touch, form, taste and smell that are composed of different kinds of vibrational currents resulting from the gradually crudifying expressions of the Cosmic Consciousness under the influence of the static principle of Prakrti. They are the analytic expressions of those universal rhythms or vibrations. Thus the visible world is created through the gradual crudifications of His thought-projection. The thought-waves, metamorphosing from subtle to the crude mani- festations and then, on their way back to their nuclear origin from the crude to the subtle, assuming the mentally developed human form, are indeed guiding the thought-wave cy- cles towards their ultimate fulfillment. Since the world is His thought-projection, it may be said that this visible world is only His act of thinking and abides only in His imagination. Due to the vibration of Cosmic Citta these variegated forms have blossomed forth through newer and newer thoughts, forms and waves, following one another in succession.

What is imagination? It is psychic action or saḿvedana. Every action or sensation is vibra- tive. This universe which is created as the result of the saḿvedana of the Cosmic Mind, must move in accordance with the vibrational law of the thought-process. The internal ex-

25 pression of the five tanmátras takes place in the individual mind in a vibrational flow. Similarly, the vibrations of the Cosmic Mind, also create the tanmátras which the unit en- tity receives or holds with its own sensory and motor organs and its práńendriya. (The five vital airs, e.g. práńa, apána, samána, udána and vyána). The unit entity receives from the outside world the various tanmátras which pulsate in that very universal life.

What is the nature of this visible world? Each and every object is moving; none is immo- bile. Not a single entity in this universe is stationary. All are progressing, for none can be static even for a fraction of a second. Whether the mind likes it or not, whether the soul wants it or not, one has to run after things to come, leaving the present behind – this is Prakrti’s inexorable course. No matter how dear a person may be to me, I cannot hold that person for ever. Death with its outstretched powerful fangs is fast approaching to snatch my dear one away from me with its vicious grip. No finite entity is capable of thwarting its onslaught, for all finite entities are subject to time and Máyá. Only the essence of all His evolved entities – His characteristic Self that remains as the unexpressed witness of all is supratemporal, beyond the orbit of time. The real awakening of any entity depends on its ability to realize its characteristic self, and in such a state of awakening, the question of station or motion, progress or regress does not arise.

I have already said that relative transposition of objects is action. An action imbibes mo- tion, rhythm and vibrations, and out of these vibrations flow the tanmátras. The vibrations which are excited in the mind through the intake of tanmátras corresponding to one’s vrttis or particular bent of mind, will be just opposite to those created by tanmátras, which do not correspond to one’s particular vrttis. The former will be pleasant and the latter will be painful. Generally the easier the intake of the impact of vibrations, the more pleasant is the effect and the more difficult the vibrational intake, the more painful or sorrowful is the ef- fect. So the vibrational state in which the citta seeks to remain is called happiness (suk- ham) and that in which it does not want to remain is called grief (dukham). Even when the object of happiness or sorrow that comes to us as the result of the past reactive momentum of our previous lives, creates any great vibration, we are very often incapable of receiving it at all. Finding someone in such a serious predicament, we say “The man’s mind has re- ceived a serious shock. Will he be able to endure it?” At times, as the result of a great shock and due to extreme tension in the nervous system, a person may even die of heart failure. Suppose someone’s dearest relative has died. Naturally, this news will give her mind a great shock. If her mind possesses even a little strength to check the inroad of such a vibration, she will be able to bear it. We call a person “tough” who has greater power of resistance and endurance. Even if a person who lacks such power of endurance survives, even if her heart does not stop, her mind will readily stop functioning. We then say that the woman has become unconscious or is in a coma. Hysteria in women with weak minds and nerves is due to some extent to this vibrational shock; but we call it a disease, for here the weakness is rather excessive.

Similar is the impact of happiness. This shock is also not easy to endure and absorb. If an abjectly poor man suddenly receives a lakh of rupees, the strong vibration of the news that arises in his mind, will violently agitate his whole nervous system. Such a highly vibrative news may even put an end to his life for his limited strength may not be able to bear such

26 vibrational waves. Suppose while your mother is taking her dinner, you receive the news of her father’s death, a great vibration will arise in her mind. If she is informed of this news suddenly, her limited strength may not be able to endure that violent vibrational force. In such a case the news should be disclosed to her gradually, by slow degrees, so that her mind will be able to gain sufficient strength to withstand the vehemence of that vibration. You may start with, “No news from grandpa for quite a long time. I wonder how he’s get- ting on.” On hearing this, an ominous, premonitive vibration will arise in the corners of her mind but even this you should say after her dinner is finished. Then after a while, you may add, “Maybe grandpa is very ill and that is why there is no letter.” This will further strengthen her mind. Then you may say, “Perhaps he is no more. No wonder, he was quite aged, wasn’t he? But indeed his life is so precious to us.” At last you break the news slowly and cautiously.

The power of enduring different kinds of vibrations varies in the same person in different conditions. So you should never suddenly break any news of great joy or great sorrow to anyone. First prepare the ground – create the right atmosphere for the mind and then bring the news to their knowledge. If you can gradually create the right type of waves, the strength to withstand the strain of the vibrations will come by itself. Thus, you should first tell the poor man “If you get a hundred rupees, what will you do with the money?” Then you give him a stronger dose: “If you could get a thousand rupees in a lottery, what would you do with it?” In this way you go on creating more and more pleasant vibrations in his mind – you go on habituating him to greater and greater shocks of happiness, and then at last you tell him he has won a prize of a lakh of rupees in the lottery. You will then see that as a result he can maintain his mental balance to a great extent.

The stamina to stand vibrations differs in different people. Hence various degrees of hap- piness or sorrow are experienced by different people, and these differences depend on their respective mental constitutions. The subtle causes of these different mental constitu- tions are their acquired saḿskáras or reactive momenta, and the crude causes are their nerve cells, nerve tissues, glandular secretions, etc. The sudden vibrational impact on the body and mind makes the mind react violently, resulting in the cessation of the cardiac functions. This also explains the death of a person struck by lightning. The sudden contact of the eyes with an extremely dazzling radiance often results in the total impairment of vision. If we look directly at the brilliant sun for a few moments, our visual power be- comes temporarily stunned and we cannot see anything for some time. Similarly, when some very high pitched or loud sound strikes the eardrum, the power of hearing may be destroyed. The sensitivity of every organ may be suspended by the impact of any violent vibration; this stupefaction, if the intensity of the vibrational impact is very great, may even become permanent. Yet sometimes powerful vibrations may help stimulate and restore the power of organs which have not been functioning for years. You must have heard of a per- son who had been blind or deaf and dumb since his childhood, regaining the lost power of his impaired organs in his latter years either by stroke of lightning or by being suddenly informed of an extremely happy or sad news.

In this visible world you receive tanmátras in accordance with your strength and ability. When the tanmátric vibration is more powerful than your strength or capacity, you are un-

27 able to receive it. Similarly, when the vibrational momentum is more slow and slack than your power of perception, you cannot receive it either. If people whisper in a soft voice, you cannot hear them – there you become deaf. Then again, if there is a very loud noise somewhere nearby, you cannot hear that either, for your hearing has been stunned – here too you are deaf. Your system may easily endure petty mental afflictions and in that case you do not cry before people. Then when you are filled with extreme grief you become so dazed and bewildered that in this case, too, you do not cry before people. You have seen a child suddenly stops crying in the midst of intense suffering. We call it “choked in crying”, for the child is unable to endure the violent sorrowful vibrations. You can tolerate a small pain with a smiling face and people cannot detect your hurt. An intense pain stuns you into unconsciousness and then, too, people are not aware of it. You are able to utter pa- thetic cries of “Ah” and “Oh” only in the intervening state to embellish your plight.

You cannot perceive the essences of ultra-subtle and ultra-crude entities: it is beyond your mental capacity to receive their vibrational waves and that is why, you cannot normally detect their existence. There are many birds and reptiles that can receive the premonitive vibrations of an event before its actual materialization. A frog detects the pre-indication of rains long before many other living beings do: it catches the premonitory vibrations be- forehand and keeps croaking the announcement of the forthcoming happiness to the four winds. Normally humans, however, cannot know anything before the rain actually starts, for the requisite subtle mechanism to receive the pre-rain vibrations is not well developed in them. So for forecast they have to take recourse to meteorology and use a special type of scientific instrument.

A crow has a natural premonitive instinct regarding storms. An owl and to some extent a dog can sense beforehand the possible occurrence of an earthquake or some other unfore- seen natural calamity of great magnitude. Such power of apprehending phenomenal vi- brations exists not in ten or twenty but in innumerable species of birds. Such a power is indeed of paramount necessity in their rigorous struggle for survival. Such a power did ex- ist, too, to some extent, among the prehistoric people. But today, in this age of so-called civilization, human beings, having become extremely ease-loving, have lost that power through misuse and lack of necessity; just as their tails, their ability to move their ears and their capacity to hold things with their feet have disappeared. Now the hairiness of their bodies and the strength of their teeth and nails are also becoming extinct. The greater the preoccupation of creatures with the struggle for existence, the necessarily greater must be their power of premonition or prescience of impending danger, or else their existence will be effaced from the surface of the earth – this is the law of nature.

Those creatures that pulsate in the darkness of the deep sea are blind due to the darkness; and hence by natural law, just as their bodies possess the power to radiate light, so as weapons some of them possess sensitive spines, some have glandular poison jets and some have attractive voices. With the help of these, they compensate for their lack of vis- ual perception of form-vibrations and preserve their own existence by their subtler recep- tion of other tanmátras or vibrations.

28 The capacity of an instinctively wicked person to absorb vibration differs somewhat from that of an average person. The amount of beating that might endanger the life of average people, may be easily borne by those who are instinctively wicked. Very often they remain quite unconcerned about the bleeding that pours out of their cuts and wounds – rather they feel relieved from such bleeding. Such people can also perceive the premonitory hints of nature. In other words in such matters their ways, to some extent, correspond to those of the sub-human creatures. Yet to attain such power even a virtuous person has to perform sádhaná or spiritual practice most diligently.

Living beings receive the vibrations of tanmátras according to their respective mental and physical constitutions. Take, for instance, a very tiny particle like an atom. From this also form tanmátras or vibrations emanate, but human eyes normally cannot perceive these extremely minute vibrations. So human beings have to bring them within the scope of visibility of their sight organs with the help of a microscope or other such instruments. Thus apprehending the vibrations of these minute entities is beyond the capacity of the human sensory organs. Remote sounds or inarticulate vocal expressions may not be nor- mally heard by your ears; for this you will have to take the help of a microphone or a loud speaker, because perceiving these sounds is beyond the range of your ear-organ. There are several tiny creatures that produce faint noises: they are hovering all around you, yet you cannot hear their sounds. You cannot hear the sounds of Calcutta with your crude acoustic power, but through a radio you can receive them very easily, for your radio receiver has a far greater power than yours to receive distant sound-waves. You receive from the aerial vibrations what had been received by the radio receiver and then transmitted by it again into the ocean of air. So it is clear that there are distinctive differences in the vibrational reception of different instruments, and humans and animals receive tanmátras according to the respective capacities of their different sensory mechanisms.

Form

A diagram can be made of every kind of vibration which you can normally see with your eyes or with the help of a particular instrument. For example, when sound-waves are re- corded in a phonograph record, you can see those lines on the record with your crude eyes. Then when these soundwaves are again vibrated in the air by the phonograph nee- dle, you can then apprehend the sounds with your organ of ear.

Does only what you see with your eyes have a form and not anything else? No, not at all: all vibrations have forms. Every tanmátra has a form and this form is the resultant of its vi- brational expressions. Viewing this vast Cosmic Citta, which we call the Universe, we ex- claim in awe, “Oh how vast”. This, too, has a form – this, too, is the resultant of vibrations. Because of its vastness this Cosmic Citta is sometimes called formless, for its form has no limit. It is limitless not because it has neither beginning nor end, but because every infini- tesimal fraction of it is flowing through innumerable forms, through countless vibrational expressions towards the inconceivable glory of the ocean of forms. It is a passing show – a panorama of transient phenomena – a changing reality. This vast vibration of the Supreme Spirit, this inconceivable expression of the Supreme Exultation – this thought-projection of

29 the metempiric Entity, your ordinary organs have no power to apprehend. Your sight-organ cannot apprehend the vibrations of this Super-form nor can your crude ears receive its vast sound waves. Where there is vibration, there is sound. The universe is His imaginative thought-projection which is also vibrational, and so it has a sound also. But the amount of self-development that is required to perceive that supramundane sound is generally lack- ing in human beings. As long as they are aware of their individuality, they cannot receive the vibrations of the Great in the fullest measure, since all the powers of individuals are more or less limited. You can feel any object by touch but you cannot say, “I am touching the Supreme Brahma.” You do not have that sensory capacity, for the power that is re- quired to touch Him is not so developed in you.

Sound

The vibration of the vast Cosmic Citta that has been flowing pauselessly through eternity is called Onm̭ ́kára. You have been hearing so many kinds of sounds and yet you are unable to perceive that eternal sound which is the seed of all sounds. To apprehend these sound waves, an extremely powerful instrument is necessary: the acoustic mechanism in your body at present is too pitifully weak for the purpose. Your instrument of hearing should be immeasurably more powerful than any radio-set that receives soundwaves from the air. Since your weak instrument is quite incapable of apprehending that sound, you are doubtful about the existence of such a phenomenon. But in order to receive the vibrations of the Infinite, you will have to identify your citta or mind and all your organs with that Infinite. Then alone will you be able to merge yourself in the Supreme Vibrational Exulta- tion, surging through your theopathic trance. It is only when your “I” feeling and His, be- come one, that you can know and hear His mind – that you can experience His sound with every molecule of your being. Then your unit-mind will merge in the Cosmic Mind. In that auspicious moment when your “I” and the cosmic “I” will meet in the supreme reunion, all your egotistic frivolities, fevers and frets will cease. An inexhaustible stream of symphony will then flow blissfully in the great void.

Now the question may arise whether the different varieties of sound that arise in the uni- verse are the same or different from those of the Cosmic Mind. Are your footsteps, when you walk, the mute witness of your silence or are they the expression of your motivity? What you eat is also sonorific. Every small or great action of your life, every clash of vrttis (desires), every venous vibration is eloquent of a language. Tranquil mountain ranges, flowing streams and river, dense forests – none are mute, none are silent. They are all ab- sorbed in an inexpressible sonorific meditation. Only those who have ears can hear them. None of these sounds is distinct from that cosmic sound, from that boundless sonic mani- festation. All are Its inseparable flows. All are manifestations of one and the same Onm̭ ́kára. And yet due to our analytical minds we perceive these different manifestations to be different types of sounds. Consider, for instance, a village market place. What do you hear from a distance? A medley of howls, is it not? But as you approach nearer to the vil- lage, you will notice that the cacophony of sounds becomes differentiated into various meaningful sentences or words: “Give me a kilo of brinjals.” “Your potatoes are too small,” and so on. The some total of all these utterances becomes a howl. Just as all the sounds of

30 the market place have been blended and united into one roaring soundwave, similarly all the sounds of the universe are merged into one onm̭ ́kára, the unified form of all sounds. As every action is vibrative, so every expression of the Cosmic Citta is vibrational. Among all the vibrational tanmátras, the subtlest is the sound tanmátra. That is why the sound tanmátra is the first stage of crudification of the subtle mental sphere into the crude physi- cal world. Onm̭ ́kára is the initial manifestation, the first supersonic expression of the Cos- mic Citta; thus, it is called Shabda-Brahma or Sonic Consciousness.

Touch

When you touch some particular object, your individual ego derives pleasure. But your individual ego never feels, “I am touching Brahma”. To feel His touch, your power of touch has to be transported to the realm of infinity: Only if the petty “I” can lose itself in the infinite cosmic “I” can one feel the touch of that cosmic “I”. When you touch any ob- ject for your own pleasure (and generally you do touch objects for pleasure’s sake), your ego becomes limited to the desire of enjoying that particular object, and thus, you deprive yourself of the pleasure of cosmic contact.

So now you can understand that as long as you crave for your own selfish happiness, the happiness of the cosmic touch will continue to elude you. So take your small “I” with all its pettiness towards the Great – enlarge and broaden it. Be one with that Sublime Entity and then alone can you truly attain Him. When you attain that Cosmic Bliss, you will no longer desire any fragmentary pleasure of the world. When your entire identity is saturated through and through with the nectar of the Great, can your existence then remain as a separate entity? Can the waves of smallness ever overwhelm you?

Now the question arises: will human beings give up all their worldly occupations after the attainment of this Brahmic happiness? Why should they? Those whose lives are saturated with the sweet nectar of Cosmic Bliss. Will go on performing even more perfectly all their worldly duties as the cherished tasks assigned by Brahma Himself. They will not be con- cerned about their own happiness or pleasure in any work. For the collective happiness of all creatures in the universe they will continue to discharge all their responsibilities care- fully and painstakingly, for the collectivity of the universe is the Life of their lives, the Soul of their souls – Brahma. They will employ their insignificant ego to further the happiness of the Great Ego:

Áma sukhadukha gopii ná kare vicára Krśńa sukha hetu kare sab byábahár Krśńa vina ára sabai kari parityága Krśńa sukha hetu kare’ shuddha anurága.

–Caetanya Caritámrta

[The milk maids forget their weal and woe, For Krśńa’s joy they reap and sow.

31 All, save Him, doth repugnant seem, Their purest love for His happiness trim.]

And what is the result? Those sádhákas or spiritual aspirants who forget their own happi- ness and sorrow and go on performing the desired tasks of Brahma, do not seek anything for themselves – they desire only to give Him happiness. But strange are the ways of God! As the result of such selfless love the Sádhakas themselves experience inexhaustible hap- piness: they feel in their heart of hearts how blessed is their little ego as an instrument of His Grace.

Gopi darshane Krśńer ye ánanda hay, Tadapekśá kot́iguńa gopii ásvádaya.

–Krśńadása Kavirája

[The sight of milk-maids is Krśńa’s joy But multifold more do they enjoy.]

The human mind, small as it is, cannot apprehend the collective tanmátras of the supreme perfection. In order to realize that supreme perfection human beings will have to give up their “I”-ness – they will have to merge their petty “I”-feeling, in the great “I” feeling. And what is this petty I feeling? It is just like a pot full of water in a pond. Both the water in the pot and the water in the pond are intrinsically one. To unite these two waters, the inter- vening pot has to be removed. After the removal of the pot, there remains no distinction between the water of the pot and the water of the pond – both become one.

Jalamein ̭ kumbhaka kumbha mein ̭ jala hae, Báhar bhitar pánii Phat́á kumbha jala jala hi samáná Yah tattva bujhae jinánii.̭

–Kabir

[Water in jar and jar in water Waters both, yet separate surge; None but the wise can see through better Let the jar break, and the waters merge.]

The cause of this apparent distinction between Brahma and the unit entity is this pot, or the mind of the small “I”. If Brahma is the sky, then the petty “I” is the jar-like sky-let. The merger of this vast sky and the sky-let is the final realization, the fulfillment of all desires – the eternal death.

Veder ábhása tui ghatákásh Ghater náshake marań bale.

–Rámaprasáda

32 [Proud of ken, as vast as the sky, Knoweth ye, fool, thou, shadow of high Thy body is but an earthen pot Crumbling into dust is its final lot.]

If a salt doll goes to measure the sea, it will melt into it. Neither can it measure the sea, nor will it ever return, its existence will merge into the vastness of the sea, releasing it from all cares and worries. If one wishes to take the form of the sea, one will have to become the sea itself; there is no other way. None of His qualities has any limit. His fragmentary manifestations are all passing through unlimited forms, due to His ceaseless imaginative flow: none of them is an end in itself. So no one can hold any of these manifestations in his/her possession permanently. Any transformation means relinquishing the old form, willingly or unwillingly; if you do not forsake the old you will not be able to embrace the new. The essence of the matter is that He is infinite. If you want to realize His characteris- tic Self, you have to earn limitlessness yourself.

Colour

Among the vibrations in this created world, colour occupies the position of secondary im- portance after the sound tanmátra. All forms in this universe are chromatic and the dis- tinction between objects is indeed discernible through colour, for colour indicates the at- tributional difference. The three binding principles of Saguńa Brahma, sattva (sentient), ra- jah (mutative), and tamah (static), are also colour. Whenever there is an excess of sattva in any particular entity, the vibrations emanating from that object will be sentient. If you per- ceive those sentient vibrations with your eyes, or through any other means, you will find that they have created a white colour on your mental plate or Citta. Thus, the vibration of colour indicates the attribute or quality of an entity. Sattva is white, rajah is red, and tamah is black. The greater degree of purity, the more predominance of sattva and proportionately whiter in colour. That is why in India whiteness and purity are often used synonymously. What is this white colour? White is not a colour; it is the combination of all colours. And what is black colour? Black is also not a colour; it is the absence of all colours. That is why black is the symbol of inertness, for it is the colour of the static principle. It is due to the absence of any vibration or one’s inability to apprehend them that an object appears black. In darkness we see everything as black.

A difference in forms means a difference in colours. While tamah is the prototype of stati- cism, sattva is diametrically the opposite. Although Saguńa Brahma possesses all three gu- nas, yet in Him, sattva is dominant. Thus Saguńa Brahma appears to be effulgent white to the sádhaka.

Hirańmaye pare kośam virajaḿ Brahma niśkalaḿ Tacchubhraḿ jyotisáḿ jyotiśtad yadátmavidoviduh.

–Atharvaveda

33 But the question arises: Is Parama Puruśa or Supreme Consciousness characteristically col- oured? The answer is “no”. All colours belong to Prakrti. The colour of that Parama Puruśa cannot be apprehended for He is beyond all colours.

Sa eko’varńo bahudhá shakiyogát Varńánanekán nihitártho dahháti Vicaeti cánte vishvamádao sa devah Sa no buddhyá shubhayá samyunaktu.

–Yajurveda

He Himself is colourless. He has, however, emanated various colours with the help of Prakrti. Through Prakrti’s sentient, mutative and static principles, white, red, and black col- ours are created. That supremely benevolent entity is essentially sentient and this is intrin- sically white. This white colour is composed of the seven component colours: violent, in- digo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. The universe is the play of these colours, like the seven-hued rainbow reflected in water, like the “Seven Horses” of the Puráńas.

The human mind is partial to appearances or forms of tanmátras and it is colour that im- presses it most. You may recall that when your mind is attracted to any object, it is form that attracts you most. The science of chromatics is a wonderful science. The ploy of col- ours determines the affinity between object and object, animal and animal and between human and human. Due to this chromatic affinity we are attracted to an unknown person, even though we are not at all acquainted with him. You must have noticed in your indi- vidual lives that you like some people immediately without any apparent reason, and you hesitate to associate with other people, in spite of their widely publicized praise. Behind this experience is the same chromatic play, which you feel but cannot explain.

I have already told you that the sentient principle is white. So the people in whose minds white vibrations are flowing we call sattvaguńii or sentient (also known as vipravarńa). The mutative principle is red. So those people whose minds are filled with red vibrations we call rajoguńii or mutative. Due to the greater crudeness in the mutative principle, the ra- joguńii mind is more partial to crude activities than the sattvic one. Such mutative people are popularly considered to be of the Kśatriya Varńa or warrior temperament, possessing energy and valour. The sentient principle is cognitive, and the mutative principle is ener- getic. Vaeshyavarńa, the temperament of the business class is concerned with activities much cruder than those of the vipra and the kśatriya. Here the citta or the mental plate is dominated by yellow vibrations, which are created by the combined influence of the mu- tative and static principles.

Those whose citta is predominately influenced by the static principle, naturally possess a greater degree of inertness than others: they have neither the knowledge of the sentient persons nor the valour of the mutative ones nor the capacity for activating things of those dominated by the mutato-static principles. This static inertness or crudeness is black. Those whose minds are predominately black are popularly known as shúdras or the labour class. Thus all the colours are related to one’s mental waves, and according to these waves a per- son is called a Brahmin, Kśatriya, Vaeshya or Shúdra. But it should be emphasized that any

34 person can achieve vipravarńa by means of sádhaná (spiritual practice). In order to change the form and colour of the vibrations, it is necessary to change the mental tendency. From the Puránas we know that the King Vishvámitra was a kśatriya in the early part of his life, but he attained bráhminic qualities through sádhaná. Lord Krśna’s father, Vasudeva, was a kśatriya. His relative Nanda of Gokul, was a vaeshya for he earned his living through dairy farming. Still another of his relatives, Garga Muni, who christened Krśńa was a vipra.

The indication of colour is most glaring in the form-tanmátras. But it is not found only in the form-tanmátras. Whenever there is vibration there is tanmátra, and there is colour as well. If the proper instrument is used the colour and the subtle form of every vibration can be detected. Where there is a line, a form must necessarily be there. According to the rhythm of the vibration, sound must also be present. Any variation in the rhythm will cause variation in the sound and colour as well. The radiated vibration of an object in an object in the day will be quite different from that of the same object in the night due to differ- ences in the light-waves, and so the object will appeal differently to your eyes. Why? Be- cause it changes its colour. Since mundane vibrations are mainly dependent upon the sun, the vibrations of the human nervous system vary according to the presence or absence of the sun in the sky. Daylight imposes mutative influence on the human nerves and night- time imposes a static influence, causing the inertness of sleep in the body and mind. The periods of sunrise, sunset, moon and midnight (the sandhyás) bring about a sentient trans- parency in the citta. Thus, it is clear how great is the vibrational influence of the variability of colour, sound and mood, and people are naturally disposed to such influences. Ladies are not inclined to choosing expensive saris or cloths at night, for the colour is not then properly discernible.

We apprehend phonic as well as alphabetical difference quite accurately due to these vi- brational differences. Short, long or galloping intonations are merely degrees of vibrational differences. The differences in Svaravarńas (vowels) and Vyainjaṋ varńas (consonants) are also totally dependent on the difference in their vibrational characteristics. In the Sanskrit language, the letters of the alphabet are called varńas or colours and all the consonants end in the first vowel “a”. So you see that Varńa-Paricaya (the first book of the alphabet) literally means “acquaintance with colour” and this colour is, of course, the colour vibra- tion. The Giitá also says that the four varńas or castes are evolved from the differences of attributes of activities. The differences in attributes account for the differences in activities and the differences in activities account for the differences in colours. With the change of attributive activity, the colour will also change. Hence the distinction of Varńa or caste in social life is not an unchangeable or inviolable institution. The varńa has evolved accord- ing to one’s activities and by changing one’s activities one can change the caste.

Paramátman or Saguna Brahma is a beginningless, endless, continuous flow. He is the Su- preme Ocean of essences. You with your limited capacity cannot apprehend this Ocean in its entirety; you can only receive one or another of His limited unit manifestations, which you perceive with your mind through its vibrations. But such unit entities are not the whole Brahma. He is beginningless and His forms are countless and limitless. To attain Him you have to become beginningless and endless yourself and the only way to do this is to merge your little “I” into the great “I”. It is only in such a state that you will realize His

35 characteristic Self, with the help of your subtle cognition – then you will always recognize your true essence in your own original Self. Always remember, “Where ‘I’ is, ‘He’ is not. Where ‘He’ is, ‘I’ is not.”

Incidentally, the question may arise why Ánanda Márga does not support idolatry. You are endeavouring to realize that endless flow of joy, to evolve your own consciousness to that blissful state. How can you apprehend that endless blissful flow through a particular lim- ited object? In the worship of idols the tendency of the human mind is extroversial, and in this way human beings gradually degrade their minds from the awareness of that Infinite Supreme Entity. Their extroverted minds run after the crude, and as the result of this per- sistent pursuit of crude objects, they themselves gradually become crude. Discarding all vagaries of pleasure and pain, human beings have to progress from the mortal world to- wards immortality, towards the touchstone of Absolute Bliss – and when this is attained, everything is attained. Their movement should be towards the calm tranquillity of the soul, forsaking the humdrum of external life. But they will never be able to attain this as long as they involve themselves with idols, apprehensible through the indriyas or organs. They will proceed more and more towards crudeness and negativity, enmeshing themselves deeper in worldly bondages, and ultimately reach a state of oblivion – instead of attaining the ultimate goal of introversion of the evolutionary flow. Their cosmic ideal will become blurred in the darkness of petty desires. Misled in the illusory sports, they will lose sight of the master Sportsman – they will lose their Divine Mother behind Her toys. In the Padma Puráńa, Viśńu says to Shiva:

Svágamaeh kalpitaestvainca̭ janám madvimukhán kuru. Maincagopa̭ ya yena syad srstireśottarottará.

“O Shiva! You have turned people away from me by your imaginary scriptures (Ágama). And as I am kept hidden from the eyes of people, the lifespan of creation goes on in- creasing.”

The worship of crude idols makes the worshippers crude, and stimulates their lower sen- timents. Such worship is like a child’s game going on in the name of Brahma. The Tantra says –

Bálakriidańavat sarvaḿ rúpanámádikalpanam, Kevalam Brahmaniśt́ho yah sa mukto’nátra saḿshayah.

Worshipping a crude object as Paramátma is nothing but child’s play. Living beings can achieve salvation only by worshipping Brahma.

Na muktirtapanáddhomádupavasahshataerapi Brahmaeváhamiti jinátvá̭ mukto bhavati dehabhrt.

–Tantra

By observing such ceremonial fasts as austerities like ekádashii (the eleventh day of the lunar month) or purńimá (full moon) or by religious sacrifices (homa), Brahma will never

36 be realized. Human beings can achieve salvation only through knowledge, and true knowledge never recognizes such superficial rites and rituals as a means of attaining Brahma. Of course, if anyone fasts for his physical health, it is beneficial – but certainly not as a means of attaining Brahma. Is it not that the idol one worships is wholly an ex- pression of the idolator’s fanciful imagination? That which is purely a human creation – that which owes its form to the handicraft of a potter or an imagemaker – is nothing but a crude object. No matter what its subtle emotional connations may be, its foundation is crude. Before our very eyes it becomes distorted decayed and destroyed, how can this vulnerable object, born of your imagination, give you salvation?

Manasá kalpitá múrtirnrnáḿ cenmokśasádhanii, Svapnalabdhen rájyena rajáno mánavastada.

–Tantra

In the world of reality the imagined form of God has no existence at all, and so it has no power of activity. If someone inherits a kingdom in a dream, does he actually become a king?

Mrcchiládhátudarvádi murtaviishvarabaddhaya Klishyantastapasa jinánam̭ bina moksam na yanti te

–Tantra

Can you bind God to an image made of clay, rocks, metal or wood, infusing life into it by chanting mantras for show? Though the image is but a small thing, the temple is much larger and yet Brahma is far greater than even the temple – He is beginningless and end- less. The image, the temple all are within Him. How can anyone confine Him in a crude form? Such idolatry will lead you to sufferings. Until you practice intuitional science sin- cerely your troubles will never cease. So you see, idolatry is not only accepted in the Puráńas as the proper way to worship; rather it has been opposed by them as well.

Some people say that in the first stage they will worship an image for concentration of mind and then gradually give up the practice later on. Such an approach is not correct, for they will eventually become attached to the image and it will be very difficult to remove the resultant saḿskára (acquired momentum) of that attachment. You must have noticed at home how attached you become to your cats and dogs after having kept them for some time as your pets. Imagine, then, how difficult it will be for you to give up that image which you have worshipped as your beloved Lord with all the sweetness of your heart. So from the very start it is best not to indulge in image worship. Just as a flood after it recedes leaves behind a mark on the river-bank, so the staunch idol worshippers, too, find it pain- fully difficult to remove the impression of that saḿskára, even when they learn the intro- versial worship of Brahma and attain the ability to reach Nirvikalpa Samádhi. You will find this in the biography of a recent great sádhaka who had to face a similar difficulty. One should avoid this predicament from the very start.

37 Yet, only opposition to idolatry is not enough: the worship of Brahma should be done scrupulously, or else you will later regret and bemoan the futility of your life with the last drop of your tears at your last hour. You should make your life worthwhile through your sádhaná. How much can your worldly friends and relations do for you? After your death your relatives may perhaps ask, “How much money has he left behind?” Your friends may go to the crematorium and indulge in flattering reminiscences about you. Your husband or wife may cry for you for about ten or twelve days and then regain their normal composure. Your lot will be only a profound sigh – a record of the futility and frustration of your life. So do not waste your time lest you later have to repent.

Vrthá janma goináyaluin hena Prabhu ná bhojaluin Khoyáyalu soha guńanidhi, Hamár karama manda na milala eka bunda Premasindhu rasaka abadhi.

[Fruitless, O Lord, has been my life That sang not of glories Thine; Lost in the worldly strife And lost Thee, most precious treasure of mine.

Fate’s long and ominous hand With compassion, cold and daft, Strayed me out of Thy Love’s strand Deprived, alas of a single draught.]

People may ask, “We are ordinary people. If we always keep ourselves absorbed in the thought of Brahma, can we properly attend to our worldly duties?” To this my reply is, of course you can, and you will do them still more beautifully. In the worship of Brahma there is a method by which easily and perfectly every worldly duty can be performed. For the ideation on Brahma a person does not have to become a hermit in the forest. Only go on behaving rightly and properly with every manifestation of Brahma in this universe – remove or rectify the mental disease of the criminals and reform their characters, cure the sick of their sickness, and arrange for their medicines and their diet. Just remember only this: that you have to behave properly and reasonably with every entity of this world. Pay special attention to the word “properly”. By “proper behaviour”, I mean that in which there is neither anger or jealously, neither attraction nor aversion.

You exist in a vast, limitless ocean of rasa or essences. A never-ending, radiant wave of manifestations is surging within and without you and radiating through all the ten direc- tions – the indescribable vibrational expressions of small and great, accented and unac- cented, eternally flowing thought-waves. Behave properly and reasonably with every ex- pression, with every manifestation of the Cosmic Mind. But always remember the One, Who is the essence of all these diverse vibrational manifestations. Train yourselves in the ideal of the lily, which blossoms in the mud and has to keep itself engaged in the struggle for existence day in and day out, parrying, bracing and fighting the shocks of muddy water and the force of storms and squalls and various other vicissitudes of fortune; and yet it does not forget the moon above. It keeps its love for the moon constantly alive. It seems

38 but a most ordinary flower: there is nothing extraordinary about it. Yet, this most ordinary little flower has a romantic tie with the great moon. It has focused all its desires on the moon. Similarly, perhaps you are an ordinary creature – perhaps you have to pass your days in the ups and downs of worldly existence – yet do not forget that Supreme One. Keep all your desires inclined towards Him. Always keep yourself merged in His thought. Go deep into the mood of that Infinite Love. By this your worldly activities will not be hampered in any way.

Kumud candramá dúrete rahiyá yemati rákhaye priiti, Temati Shrii Rádhá kánu páne cáhi grha káj kare niti.

[Farther from the moon, yet nearer to him Lily unquelled by her troubles grim; So’s Radha’s love for her Krśńa her hand to work and her heart to Him.]

No matter what circumstances you are in, never lose sight of the Infinite One. Degradation is impossible for those who have accepted the Supreme Being as the Ideal of their lives. Indulging in mean thoughts only engenders crude vibrations in the Citta, as the result of which you will have to take rebirth in lower species in order to suffer the lowly Saḿskáras created by those crude vibrations. Thus you must arouse higher vibrations in your Citta. Even a man of King Bharata’s calibre had to take rebirth as a deer because at the time of his death he was deeply anxious about a fawn. Thus regardless of what you are at present or what you may possibly become in the future, do not digress from the ideal of the Great in any circumstances: do not stray even a step away from the path of realization of Abso- lute Bliss. Ánanda Márga or the path to eternal bliss is the only path for you.

Ki e mánuś pashu pákhi kii e janmiye Athavá kiit́a-pataunga̭ Karama bipáke gatágati punah punah Mati rahe tuyá parasaunga.̭

–Vidyápati

[No matter whether myself a man Or beast or bird or insect be Through virtue or sin, according to Thy plan, Take my all but leave my mind for Thee.]

No matter what I become as the consequence of my deeds – human, animal or insect, let my mind never forget you. Poet Chandidasa said:

Bandhu kii ár baliba ámi Janme janme jiivane-marańe Práńanátha haeo tumi.

[O Friend of mind, sublime and kind Words fail to express my mind

39 In life and death in pleasure and pain Through every life may I be with my Lord again.]

Whatever be the consequence of your past deeds, your upliftment is guaranteed, if you have unflagging zeal to attain Brahma. Do not look back, look forward. Never take any limited material object for your worship. Accept only the loftiest entity for your contem- plation. If your love for Him is genuine, you will ever remain in an Elysian exuberance. Pain will then mean nothing to you, nor will happiness either. When one’s movement is towards the Great, when one’s ardour is only for the Great, it is called Prema or Divine Love.

The attraction between one object and another is always chromatic, pertaining to rága or colour. The word rága is derived from the root rańj which means “dyeing”. Anurága means to dye one’s mind with the colour of that Infinite Entity. Nothing will result from dyeing one’s clothes with saffron colour only for show. Dye yourself within. People of some par- ticular religious creeds think that dyeing their clothes or bodies with a particular colour is a part of spiritual Sádhaná. But remember that is all useless, unless you are dyed within as well. Can a person become a shúdra only by wearing a dark dress, or a vipra by donning white garments? Mahatma Kabir used to say –

Mana ná ráungáilḙ ráungáilḙ yogi kápaŕá.

[Saffron and red do not a yogi make With mind undyed he remains a fake.]

Dye your mind with His colour. Those who have not done so cannot attain Him, for this very coloration is Prema or Divine Love. The differences in colour are signs of distinction; without these differences there is identity. No external sign of Sádhutá or virtue is neces- sary. Became sádhu within. Behind the external show of virtuousness of many so-called sádhus exists a pharisaic state of mind. Preserve the true dignity of the word, Sádhu.

Múŕha múŕháye jat́á váŕháye masta phire jaesá bhaesá Khalrii upar khák lágáye Mana jaeśá to taesá.

[With shaven head or matted locks And ashen body a sádhu walks With the swaggering gait of a well-fed buffalo. And crude mind filled with thoughts mean and low.]

That is why I say that you must bring about a revolutionary change in the flow of your judgment and thought, and see how, after overcoming your fascination with external col- our, your mind becomes tinged with the His glorious colour. In Ánanda Márga sádhaná, the method of withdrawing the mind from degrading tendencies, and absorbing oneself in the colour of the Great, is called Pratyáhára Yoga (the yoga of withdrawal) or Varńárg- hyadána (the offering of colours). All people have a particular attraction for one or another object or activity and as soon as they become attracted to an object, then their minds be-

40 come coloured with the colour of that object. You can withdraw your mind from the col- our of that object and dye yourself in His colour by offering Him the captivating colour of the object that has attracted you: this is the real Pratyáhára Yoga. The word pratyáhára means “to withdraw” – to withdraw the mind from its object.

The main object of the Spring Colour Festival (Vasantotsava) is not playing with external colours; it is meant to offer Him the colours of different objects which have dyed the mind. When this practice of offering your own colours – your own attachments, becomes natural and easy, you will then merge in Him. Then you will have no need for any colour, for you will become colourless – you will go beyond the reach of any colour. Your unit-ego will become one with the Cosmic Ego. Whichever way you look you will see only Him in His ever-surging glory. There is no “I” nor “you”. By an everlasting, mutual pact the final cur- tain will have fallen on all clashes of “I” and “you”. At that stage, if you call Parama Brahma as “I”, you are right in calling Him so; if you call Him as “He”, you are equally right; and if you call Him as “you”, again you are correct. The extent of your attainment of Him will be proportionate to your self surrender.

Remember, you have to offer your own identity – not money, rice plantains or other crude objects. The give-and-take of crude things is a business transaction. If you want to attain the bliss of Brahma, you must offer your own self. If you want to have the Great “I”, you must give away your own little “I”. You have to give the full sixteen annas, (the full rupee). Giving fifteen annas and holding back one anna will not do. You must completely surren- der. To attain that Infinite One with the help of your mental concentration and strength, you have to surrender yourselves. But, remember self-surrender does not mean suicide. On the contrary, your soul will have its full expression. Your existence will not become contracted, for contraction is inert in principle. Hence in the sádhaná of self-surrender the ego is expanded, not contracted. In the Mahábhárata, when Duhshásana was pulling the sari of Draopadii, she was tightly holding the cloth to her body with one hand beseeching lord Krśńa with the other. “Oh! My lord, save me!” But the Lord did not then come for- ward to save her from shame. When Draopadii found no means of escape, she then re- leased her hold on the cloth and appealed to the Lord most piteously with both hands out- stretched, crying, “O Lord, I surrender my all to you. Do what you think is best”. And the Lord immediately rescued her. That is why I say that you will have to dedicate yourselves to His feet wholly and unreservedly. You will earn godliness in proportion to the extent that you surrender yourselves, and finally, after merging that acquired godliness of yours in His Entity, you will attain eternal bliss.

God bless you.

Phálgunii Púrńimá 1956 DMC

41 Rudra

Every living being belongs to the family of the Supreme Being, Rudra. Where there is one Supreme Father, how can there be different castes and creeds? You are all equal; none is inferior and none is superior. Those who create distinctions are the enemies of human so- ciety. Fundamentally you are all one and only apparently you are many. Rudra is the final substance of all beings.

Why call the Supreme Being “Rudra”? The word Rudra in Sanskrit means “weeping.” But the Supreme Being not only makes all weep, He also makes them laugh! In both the cir- cumstances, that is, of extreme pain and pleasure, there are tears in the eyes. In pain the tears come from the middle of the eyes, in pleasure they come from the corners of the eyes. A mother weeps when her daughter goes to her in-laws’ house. She also weeps when her daughter returns from the house of her in-laws. In one case she weeps for pain, in another she weeps for joy.

If living beings were to live in one state always, there would be extreme monotony and no one would want to continue life. If in a drama we know the end in the very beginning, there would be no interest in the play. We need suspense, ups-and-downs and eleventh- hour surprises to keep life interesting. God, that is, Rudra, is a first-class dramatist. He keeps life floating within the two extremes of joy and pain; hence His liilá, His play, goes on.

We pray to Rudra in the following way: “O Lord! take me from the transitory to the eter- nal!!” All forms are momentary; only God is changeless, sat, truth. Therefore take me from asat, the transitory, to sat, truth.

“O Lord! Guide us from darkness unto light!” Darkness here means Máyá or ignorance which creates confusion about reality. When this Máyá is removed, the individual soul be- comes the Universal Soul.

“O Lord! Take me from death unto life!” Death simply means change. In this created uni- verse all will change and all are changing. Thus everything, every being is subject to death. Save me from this realm of death and make me a non-changing absolute, which alone is immortality.

“O Lord Rudra, you are manifested in all things and forms; I want to feel your presence in my heart!”

Sadhakas [spiritual aspirants] will get this feeling with the slightest effort. You people will complete your mission here and in this life, so that we may all take up another mission on some other planets!

Rudra is Guru [dispeller of darkness], father and teacher all rolled into one.

42 Rudra is described as having five faces. What do these indicate? Rudra is one, but has five types of administrative functions. Everyone has his duty. The Supreme Being, also having manifested Himself into relativity, has His duties. He works hard for His mundane beings, who are His children.

The face to the extreme right is called Dakśińeshvara. Its role is to tell the human beings, “Please my child, do not do this – I shall be pained if you do this.” This is a gentle warning to prevent evil.

The face on the extreme left is called Vámadeva. It says, “Why did you do this? I shall smash you.” It actually punishes and destroys.

The next face to the extreme right is Iishána. It says, “Do not do this, you may get punish- ment for this.” It is mildly rebuking but not threatening.

The face next to the extreme left is Kálagni. It threatens severely but does not actually punish.

In the middle is the face of extreme serenity and beauty. It is called Kalyáń Sundaram. Suppose there is a child of 3-4 months. Both the parents look at him with great affection. There is no desire to punish at all. This central face of the Rudra is His permanent nature. It is the quality of grace and beauty which is the only lasting characteristic and property of Rudra. Changes in this to the right or left are only due to administrative requirements.

The devotees pray to Rudra, “O Lord, kindly look at me with your extreme right face so that I may be prevented from evil and hence punishment.”

But God is one and always graceful and kind. The concept of God and devil coexisting is neither logical nor practical. There cannot be two rival powers contending for superiority. The destructive aspects of God are also due to His extreme kindness towards His creation. When a shirt is torn and you change it for a new one, it is not an act of cruelty. God cre- ates this universe, maintains it and goes on destroying its useless parts or changing them for new ones. Rudra, being the final power in this universe, also has final responsibility to protect, maintain and control it. Power and responsibility should go hand in hand.

When He finds a particular structure incapable of performing its part well, He discards it for another. It is like the organizer of a puppet show changing one of His puppets. There- fore in His destroying aspect also, God is not to be feared. He is only to be loved.

There is going to be no final destruction of this creation. But suppose this were going to happen, even then the human beings need not be afraid, as they will remain on the lap of Rudra even in that state. So no one should feel afraid. The word “fear” should be removed from the dictionary of mankind.

Do not think that because you are small or uneducated, God will not attend to you. He bestows the same measure of care for the biggest elephant as He does for the smallest ant.

43 For Him both are one and the same – His progeny. If no one else thinks of you, do not worry, Rudra will think about you.

The more inward you go in your mind, the nearer you are to Rudra. Finally when your mind merges in its source, you are one with Rudra. You have immense possibilities; the Supreme Being, the Supreme Power is within your easy reach. Why then fear anyone?

The sweetest part of liilá – God’s play – is that He is hidden in everyone and everyone is searching for him. He wants His children to go round and He plays hide-and-seek with them. This is so that they may perform certain essential functions in the process. This gives interest and pleasure to both the Creator and the created.

Thus all things are one. There is no distinction due to sex, age, or anything. Male and fe- male, young and old are all actors playing different roles in the drama of this universe. Their forms differ, but their substance and purpose is one. God is male, female, child, youth, and old age.

God has His faces in all directions. No one can hide anything from Him. He sees both our external and internal actions. Do not hate those who are small. You have no right to hate anyone. Do not be afraid of nature either. The thunder and the roar of the oceans hide His sweet music within their apparently frightful sounds. Fear none and hate none. All are One.

This Universal Form of God, Unity in all – you will be able to see in this very life. Strive on – go on doing your sádhana intensively, you will succeed.

Movement is life. Where this is towards God, the Subtle, the All in One – it is progress, otherwise it is degradation. The moment a man is born he starts his journey. The end of his journey is death. The gap between these two is life. It is a small gap. Waste no time. Every minute takes you nearer to the grave. There is no time to waste. This mission of life – to be one with God – has to be fulfilled here and now.

The mind also moves and changes, but it has no relation with this body and its grave. Bodies are given up one by one, but the mind remains the same continuing unit.

All creation is dancing round the Parama Puruśa, whether knowingly or otherwise. The steps and the direction of one’s dance are according to one’s nature. Those who are be- coming degraded are dancing away from Him. Others are expanding and moving towards Him. This dance is the cycle of Brahma [Brahmacakra].

Every mind is dominated by one particular desire. Some pray to God, “Please remove my stomach-ache.” Others say, “If my daughters get married I shall leave the world and come to You.” God smiles at these prayers in silence, as laughing openly would embarrass His children.

44 Every body and mind is structured according to its dominant desire. You can recognize a good man by his face. People with the same dominant desire easily become friends though they may belong to different countries of the world.

This dance of individuals according to their desire is rásaliilá or the play of the waves in God’s Ocean. As a boat goes up and down on a wave, so the human beings go up and down on the cosmic waves of their desires. As long as one considers oneself separate from the Lord, this dual dance goes on. When one knows the Supreme Being, the rhythm changes and becomes soothing and graceful.

But coming to know Him is only possible through His Grace. Scholarship will not lead you to God. A devotee will always win when there is a conflict with a scholar. The scrip- tures are like curd which is churned by scholars – while they analyse the butter and but- termilk, the butter is eaten up by the devotees and only stale buttermilk is left for the scholars.

How to get this kindness, this Grace from God? You have to snatch it from Him, just as a little child by weeping bitterly snatches his mother’s love and attention, though the mother at first may be unwilling to leave the kitchen for the child.

But the devotees always plead for God. They justify His actions. They say, we are doing our sádhana not to get pleasure but to please our Lord. He feels happy when He sees His creation making attempts to meet Him.

God’s Grace is forever raining over all but we keep umbrellas of our ego aloft and hence do not get drenched in it. Devotees, however, puncture this ego. They surrender them- selves to Him and thus get His Grace.

Since all beings have come out of Rudra, He is also their final Goal; merging in God is as natural as being born. Sádhakas will surely achieve this. Go on doing your part. I shall do mine and help you in establishing yourself in the Supreme. I have come on this earth for this sake.

If someone wants to inject an inferiority complex in you, do not be affected. You are the children of God, not inferior to anyone. Make attempts to meet Him and success will surely be yours.

Victory is yours. You are the dear ones of God. Move on and achieve the Goal.

25 May 1969 DMC, Ranchi

45 Spiritual Practice and the Cosmic Science (Sádhaná and Madhuvidyá)

The object of the ordinary mind, be it external or internal, is the outcome of the five fun- damental factors. In order to maintain its separate existence the mind has to stick to some object. Here an object means a place. Just as a living being in order to maintain its physi- cal existence has to inhabit some physical space, similarly the mind to maintain its subtle existence has to attach itself to some object of requisite subtlety.

Time and space are indispensable for maintaining individuality. It is for this reason that the individual mind is forever in search of one object or another. The mind turns away from those objects which cannot properly effect the materialization of saḿskáras or from those objects which are used up and exhausted, and it moves towards a new object. This up- heaval of the mind is never-ending. The more intense the desire for the materialization of its saḿskáras, the more swiftly the mind wanders from one object to another. This is called unsteadiness of the mind.

A question may arise, what will happen to the mind if it is completely weaned from ob- jects? If this occurs then the mind will be dissolved – it will be obliterated. To strive for self-protection is natural, and for this reason the mind constantly runs after the retreat of its objects.

It has already been said that the object of the ordinary mind is always collected from the world of the five fundamental factors. What is the form of this paincabhaotika̭ world and of what property is its subjective mind made?

From the philosophical point of view, there is an eternal infinite consciousness all around. So long as this entity of consciousness remains in its original state, there is no question of a subject or an object, nor of knowledge and the knower. However when a part of it comes under the sway of Prakrti, then the knowledge of existence or the “I” feeling is pre- sent. This very “I” feeling appears at the same time as the object of Puruśa or Cosmic Con- sciousness. This pervading effect of the feeling is called mind. There are three grades of the “I” feeling – mahattattva (I am), ahaḿtattva (I do or I am the master) and citta (the resultant “I”). This mind constitutes the initial degeneration of Puruśa and forms its object.

It has been said that the manifested world is the object of this mind. Consequently Puruśa does not get any enjoyment from this páincabhaotika̭ universe at all. It is only the mind which enjoys, while Puruśa is simply a witnessing entity to the workings of the experienc- ing mind.

The objects of gratification of the two higher states of mind, namely mahattattva and ahaḿtattva, are sustained, formed and manifested in its stratum of Citta. If a person derives pleasure from eating palatable food, what is the subject of this gratification? It is the two strata of the mind, the mahattattva and the ahaḿtattva. Now what is the object of gratifi- cation? Superficially it appears that it is the food which is the object of gratification. Even

46 when the food has been eaten, the mind will not experience pleasure until the feeling of palatability in the form of the vibratory waves of touch and taste is taken up by the corre- sponding sense-organs and conveyed to citta. A person working in an indifferent mood does not derive the due pleasure in doing interesting work or even taking food. The reason is that citta is partially otherwise engaged and cannot give relevant form to the vibratory waves of the object of gratification.

From this we arrive at the conclusion that mind never enjoys the original object; it enjoys only the reflected shadows of the original object. Catching the shadows of the physical world, people mistakenly believe that they have realized their goal. If the mind really de- sires to enjoy something, it should adopt the opposite course. The mind will have to be extricated from the quinquelemental world which has been created as the crudest mani- festation of the cosmic mind-stuff, and adopt the universal Puruśa – the original constitu- ent of the cosmic mind-stuff. The object of Puruśa is the mind, and if Puruśa becomes the subject of the mind, then, as a result of their proximity developing into union, the subjec- tive feeling of each will disappear. This union is called “yoga”. In other words, it is the union of the unit “I”, centered in the mind, with the universal Puruśa.

Saḿyogo yoga ityukto jiivátmá Paramátmanah.

If a person desires to merge in the Puruśa retaining his/her “I” feeling, then he/she will not be completely free from objects. In that state, the universal mind of the universal Puruśa becomes the object. We call this state, “savikalpa samádhi”. Where there is no anxiety about the “I” and no desire to preserve the separate identity of the “I”, then a state of com- plete freedom from objects or thoughts is achieved. This state is called “salvation” or “nir- vikalpa samádhi”.

Sarvacintá parityágo niscinto yoga ucyate.

Puruśa is the only knowing entity. Puruśa alone is knowledge personified or knowledge itself. Just as the sun is light itself – on a cursory view it does not seem to shine from bor- rowed light. The motion towards absolute knowledge is called the process of knowledge, and the motion diametrically opposed to this is towards the shadows of the fundamental factors created by the thought-waves of the Cosmic Mind.

It can be more lucidly explained in this manner. Omniscient Brahma alone is truth abso- lute and this páincabhaotika̭ universe is the result of the domination of Prakrti over Brahma. If we were able to enjoy this páincabhaotika̭ world, we would claim to enjoy the shadow or imagination of the waves of the Cosmic Mind. In reality, however, none of us can enjoy this páincabhaotika̭ world. We enjoy that relative shape which our sense organs convey to that mind-stuff, after receiving the reflections of tanmátras. That is, we experi- ence only the reflections of shadows.

Átmajinánam̭ ́ vidurjinánam̭ ́ jinánáṋ yanyáni yánitu; Táni jinánáv̭ abhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát.

47 Can we realize the real Puruśa merely by seeing the reflection of a shadow? No, certainly not. From the shadow of a tree we cannot say whether this is a mango tree or a jackfruit tree or a lichee tree. To know the tree it is necessary to look at the tree, not its shadow. To know Brahma, it is no use remaining engrossed in the illusory reflections of Brahma. All the psychic tendencies will have to be directed towards Brahma.

Just as the egoistic mind is the subject of the living being, so Puruśa is the subject of the mind. In special circumstances we call this Puruśa the unit soul or jiivátman. Only by ad- vancing in the direction of Brahma, and by attaining this original form, can human beings be liberated from this illusory world. To attain one’s original self is to attain the universal Puruśa. The object-free unit soul and the object-free universal soul are one and the same entity.

Átmajinánam̭ ́idaḿ devi paraḿ mokśaekasádhanam Sukrtaermánavo bhútvá jinániicenmoks̭ ́amápnuyát

–Tantra

This knowledge cannot be attained by reading books alone. It needs earnestness and spiritual practice. One has to pursue one’s path towards Brahma as the destination. If all the tendencies are directed towards Brahma, they will become subtler and subtler and will ultimately merge in Brahma. When there are no tendencies, there is no mind. You will go beyond the periphery of the mind. You will be released from the feeling of pain and pleas- ure and will ultimately attain the self.

Tadádraśt́u svarúpe’vasthánam.

One has to advance by making the maximum effort to keep the mind scrupulously away from vices. Never let your mind’s purity be polluted in any way. After practicing this for some time, you will observe that the same mind that sustained your vile tendencies has become your greatest friend. Your mind will serve all your purposes so that you should let it have constant inspiration from your soul. Enlighten your mind with the effulgence of the soul. The absolute truth in you will automatically reveal itself.

Rtambhará tatra prajiná̭

–Pátainjala̭

Those who adopt the reverse course are truly ignorant, in that as they dedicate themselves to crude objects, they gradually transform their minds into crudeness. By gradual transfor- mation their mind-stuff reaches a stage where they cannot be called human beings. Who can say that the fire-burnt cane has been transformed into the plantain tree, and the de- composed beef has been transformed into onion through natural changes, and that the rice-water has produced tańd́uleraka leaves? Likewise, no one will be able to recognize you as a human being in your degenerated condition.

48 Therefore, do not absorb yourself in crude thoughts or allow yourself to be carried away by impulses and tendencies. The extroverted tendency and the dedication to these crude objects are sure impediments to the realization of self.

Uttamo Brahmasadbhávo madhyamá dhyánadhárańá Japastutisyádadhamá múrtipújádhamádhama

–Tantra

The mind is extroverted by idol worship and is attracted towards finite objects. If the men- tal force is directed towards finite and crude objects, then the person is ultimately con- verted into crudeness. As you think so you become.

In the name of the universal all-pervading entity, idol worship is not permissible. An idol is a finite object. Is it not self-contradictory to call Brahma the all-pervasive entity and then to advocate idol worship? If idol is Brahma, the seat where it is installed is certainly out- side Him! It is simply a paradox. In the Rgveda it is said:

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát; Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháungulam.̭

–Rgveda Puruśasúktam

The poet Shrii Dvijendra Lal Roy echoed the same thoughts in his verses:

Pratimá diye ki pújiba tomáre E vishva nikhila tomári pratimá. Mandir tomár ki gaŕiba má go Mandir yáhár ananta niilimá; Pratimá tomár graha, tárá, ravi, Ságar, nirjhar, bhúdhara, at́avi. Nikuinja-bha̭ van, vasanta-pavan, Tarulatá, phal-phul madhurimá. Satiir pavitra prańay madhumá, Shishur hásit́i jananiir cumá, Sádhur bhakati pratibhá shakati, Tomári mádhurii tomári mahimá. Jei dike cái e nikhil bhúmi, Sab dike mágo, virájicha tumi, Ki griiśme, ki shiite, divase nishiithe, Vikashita tava vibhava garimá.

–Shrii Dvijendra Lal Roy

49 The Vedic sages also said:

Tadevágni stadá ditya stadváyustaducandramá; Tadeva shukraḿ Tadbrahma tadápastad prajápatih. Tvaḿ strii tvaḿ pumánasi tvam kumára uta vá kumárii; Tvam jiirńadand́ena vainca̭ yasi tvam játobhavasi vishvato-mukhah. Yáke rúp ná-jáy bákháńi.

In the mundane life, finite objects are indispensable. The preservation of existence is not possible by pursuing the path of “shreya” or ultimate gain all the time. Nevertheless, shreya alone is necessary for one’s supreme spiritual progress and only shreya and not preya, or the immediate and superficial gain, should be pursued. It is said in the Veda:

Anyacchreyo’nyadutaeva preyaste ubhe nánárthe puruśaḿ siniitah Tayoh shreya ádadaenasya sádhu bhavatihiiyate arthád ya u preyo vrńiite Shreyasca preyasca manuśyametastao sampariitya vibinakti dhiirah Shreyo hi dhiiro’bhipreyaso vrniite preyo mando yogakśemád vrńiite.

–Kat́hopaniśad

If the spiritual aspirant is advised to follow only shreya, then how will he or she maintain his or her existence during the period of spiritual practice? He or she will have to deal with preya in such a manner that it does not become a cause of bondage or extroversion of tendencies, but will instead lead to the introversion of tendencies and thereby to mukti or liberation. This technique is known as “madhuvidyá.”

Madhuvidyá teaches you that you can endeavour to attain liberation even while leading a worldly life, provided of course, that before dealing with any object of gratification, you take it with cosmic feeling. While feeding your child you ought to contemplate that you are not feeding your child but giving proper care to the manifestation of Brahma in the shape of a child. When you plough your land, you ought to contemplate that you are giv- ing proper care to the manifestation of Brahma in the shape of land. If you properly follow madhuvidyá you can keep yourself aloof from the shackles of actions even though you perform actions. This madhuvidyá will pervade your exterior and interior with the ecstasy of Brahmánanda and will permanently alleviate all your afflictions. Then the ferocious jaws of Avidyá cannot come and devour you. The glory of one and only one benign entity will shine forth to you from one and all objects.

Idaḿ máńusaḿ sarveśáḿbhútánáḿ madhvasya máńuśasya sarváni bhútáni madhuh Ayamátmá sarvesáḿ bhútánáḿ madhvasya átmanah sarváni bhútáni madhuh.

1955 DMC, Monghyr

50 Parama Puruśa and His Creation

The subject of today’s discourse is “Parama Puruśa and His Creation.” It is said,

Páshabaddho bhavejjiivah páshamukto bhavecchivah.

[The microcosms are in bondage, and the Macrocosmic Shiva is free from all bondages.]

What is the fundamental difference between jiiva and Shiva, between microcosm and Macrocosm, between the creation and the Creator? The main difference is that the micro- cosms are in bondage, whereas Shiva or Macrocosm is free from all bondages. The differ- ence between one object and another is determined by observing their respective charac- teristics. The wood apple and the mango are two different fruits, but if the qualities of the wood apple are transferred to the mango, then the wood apple itself becomes mango. Likewise, the microcosmic created entities are different from the Macrocosm, their Crea- tor, because of their qualitative differences. Now, if by dint of sádhaná, if the microcosms can assimilate the special characteristics of Parama Puruśa, they cease to remain micro- cosms; they become Shiva Himself. At the same time it is also said that all the qualities that are present in Saguńa Brahma or Iishvara (Qualified Consciousness) are of course also present in Parama Puruśa, with some other qualities as well. So we see that Parama Puruśa is both Iishvara and Bhagaván, and something more than that.

Now let us analyse the qualities that are present in both Parama Puruśa and His created entities. The Sanskrit word Iishvara is derived from the root verb lish + suffix varac. The root verb iish means “to control.” Hence the word Iishvara literally means “controller”. In this universe each and every object whether big or small or middle has a controller. This rule applies universally to all objects, from the tiniest molecule to the universe. However, Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Controller, and His created microcosms are the controlled entities. In the mundane world, human beings can never control their own activities be- cause human capacity is extremely limited. For instance, even a second before one’s death one cannot know of the impending death. But Iishvara, the Controlling Entity, has absolute power of control: there is none to oversee or supervise His activities.

Just as the owners of a house can remove the tenant if they so desire, according to neces- sity they may issue a notice for the tenant to vacate the house. Of course the tenant may go to the court for help, but Iishvara, if He so desires, may snatch away this human body, whose true owner is not the human being but Iishvara Himself. Human beings can at the very most utilize their bodies; but if Iishvara takes away this body, human beings have nothing to say about it, for as they are controlled entities, they have no alternative but to surrender to the Supreme Controller Iishvara.

Therefore it is logical that when Iishvara controls everything Himself, in that case His cre- ated microcosms have no freedom. Of course in the kingdom of Parama Puruśa, a certain amount of freedom is granted to the microcosm. For instance, if any human being sitting in the kingdom of the Lord criticizes Parama Puruśa, He does not become angry, nor does He

51 admonish His critic. This much freedom is granted to the microcosms. But at the same time it should be remembered that the capacity, the strength of the microcosm to criticize Parama Puruśa comes from none other than Parama Puruśa Himself. The microcosms criti- cize Parama Puruśa with the energy allotted to them by Him.

Now what sort of attitude should the microcosms adopt towards the Supreme Controller, Parama Puruśa?

Ya eko jálavániishata Iiśańibhih Sarváunllokániishata Iiśańibhih Ya evaeka udbhave sambhave ca Ya etadviduramrtáste bhavanti. Eko hi rudro na dvitiiyáya tasturya Imáunllokániishata Iiśańibhih Pratyamjanáḿstiśt́hate sauncukopantakále Saḿsrjjavishvá bhuvanánii gopah.

The controlling power of Parama Puruśa is truly a unique force, a magic power. When an expert magician creates a living pigeon out of a clod of earth, the spectators become won- derstruck to see it. In reality that earth is not actually transformed into a pigeon, but the spectators seem to see with their eyes that the soil is being transformed into a living, flying pigeon. What is the secret behind this phenomenon? And who knows this secret, whether the clod of earth really became a pigeon at all? In fact this secret is known only to the ma- gician and his inveterate followers and no one else.

With a similar kind of magic power, Parama Puruśa has been continuing His creation. Now if anyone desires to know the inner secrets of that magic power, what should be done? The answer is to establish a relationship of love with the magician Himself. One will have to enlist oneself in the inner circle of His followers. Then the Controller of this uni- verse, because of His intimate relationship with that person, will disclose the secret of His controlling power. So one can know the secret from Parama Puruśa only through the clos- est proximity to Him, and not through any struggle with Him.

Hence the only path for the survival and progress of the microcosms is to establish a sweet relationship with the creator of the universe. According to Maharśi Kańáda, the illustrious propounder of Vaesheśika philosophy, this universe is composed of innumerable atoms and molecules; these are, however, only material forces. In the absence of consciousness, they themselves cannot create anything original or do anything rational. If the responsibil- ity of all the actions of this universe had been left to the atoms, molecules, protons, elec- trons, positrons, etc., then there would be clash at every moment; and in that case this vast, beautiful and harmonious universe where everything is moving according to a par- ticular system, would not have existed at all.

According to Kańáda, those material forces are undoubtedly the primary causes, but they cannot control themselves; they are controlled by the Cognitive Force, the knowing faculty which is none other than Iishvara. Such a blind material force cannot create this vast, well- ordered universe. So in order to transcend the crudity of this material universe, there is no

52 other way for human beings except the surrender to the Cognitive Principle, and the sooner the human beings thus surrender, the better it will be for the speed of their progress will be accelerated. Human beings are not simply living creatures with hands and feet: they are something far greater than that.

The human body which is material, is controlled by mind, and mind is controlled by unit consciousness, and unit consciousness is controlled by Parama Puruśa. Hence truly intelli- gent people should perform their mundane duties according to the will of Parama Puruśa. We already discussed the two different interpretations for the word Iishvara; the third in- terpretation is:

Klesha-karma-vipákáshayaeraparámrśt́ah Puruśa visheśa Iishvarah.

The Entity which remains unaffected or unassailed by kleśa (afflictions), karma (action), vipáka (reactions or requitals of actions) and áshaya (unserved saḿskáras or unrequited actions) is called Iishvara. All the living beings in this world are not equally evolved; the standard of elevation of all is not uniform. When living beings in the course of evolution go beyond the periphery of these four factors mentioned above, they are called Iishvara.

What is kleśa? That which affects the natural state of mind is called kleśa, that is, the psy- chic state from which people seek to be liberated is called kleśa. No one wants his or her natural state of mind to be impaired. Suppose in a certain place there is something de- composed from which a foul stench is emanating. Whenever one thinks of that, one’s natural mental state is disturbed; one cannot remain mentally balanced. Obviously, people want to avoid such an uncongenial atmosphere. Conversely, where there is a fragrant odour, the mind rushes there and it becomes pleasurably balanced. When people light fra- grant incense before meditation, the same psychology prevails: the mind remains calm and quiet, in a natural flow in such a congenial environment. All the living beings are af- fected or assailed by kleśa.

How many types of kleśa are there? The four main types that people experience while performing their mundane duties are: kliśtávrtti, akliśt́ávrtti, kliśt́ákliśt́avrtti, and akliśt-́ ákliśt́avrtti.

Kliśt́ávrtti: People sometimes knowingly or unknowingly do certain actions as a result of which they not only undergo difficulties at the time of action, but even after the action is finished, they suffer the negative consequences of their undesirable actions. Suppose in a certain place people are competing with one another to determine which one of them can consume five kilos of rasogollas [sweetmeats]. While they are eating the five kilos of raso- gollas, they certainly do not feel comfortable. Although they have no real inclination to eat and find it difficult to do so, they force themselves out of competitive spirit just to win the prize. So they suffer at the time of eating, and afterwards they certainly suffer from diges- tive trouble. This is an example of kliśt́ávrtti. Goaded by this kliśt́ávrtti, human beings do many actions in this world. It affects all living beings except Iishvara.

53 Kliśt́ákliśt́avrtti: Suppose someone is doing a good action, and in the process undergoes some hardship, while at the same time his friends are deriving material benefits from their actions. Perhaps some of them have already purchased several luxurious buildings, whereas he is living in a dilapidated tenement. He undergoes hardship in the beginning, but what is the ultimate result? It is akliśt́a – not painful. Perhaps while living an honest life, people may face some difficulties, but as they led pious lives, their death becomes glorious. So initially their action is kliśt́a or painful, but ultimately it becomes akliśt́a or non-painful. This kliśt́akliśt́avrtti also affects living beings, but not Iishvara.

Akliśt́ákliśt́avrtti is that action which is not painful at the beginning but which is ultimately painful. Suppose four passengers, A, B, C and D, are going to Bombay from Nagpur. The first three are travelling without tickets, and that too in the First Class compartment. But passenger D is travelling second class, and the train is overcrowded and painfully cramped. So for passenger D the train journey is certainly painful (akliśt́a) but for passen- gers A, B and C the journey is quite pleasurable (akliśt́a) because they are travelling in the comfort of First Class without spending a farthing for tickets. Now at a certain railway junction the inspector boards the train and arrests passengers A, B and C for ticketless travel: they are dragged to the police station in humiliation, bound in chains. But as pas- senger D was travelling with a bonafide ticket, he exited triumphantly from the compart- ment. Thus although for him the journey was painful, ultimately it became non-painful (akliśt́a). This vrtti also affects living beings, but not Parama Paruśa.

Finally, akliśt́ávrtti is that action which is neither painful in the beginning nor painful in the end. This vrtti may be present both in living beings and in Parama Puruśa: it is part of Parama Puruśa’s characteristic nature, and for living beings it is in their spiritual practice. In the spiritual sphere human beings and Parama Puruśa are in the same realm, and thus the more the human beings perform spiritual practice, the closer they come in contact with Parama Puruśa, because then there remains Only one common vrtti for both them and Him – akliśt́ávrtti. Hence it is mentioned in the scriptures that in Parama Puruśa there is not the slightest vestige of kleśa.

When there is some expression both in the psychic and spiritual spheres, it is called kriiŕá, but Parama Puruśa does not do anything in the physical sphere, because for Him there is nothing external – everything is within Him. For the microcosms, for the unit living beings, there are both external and internal psychic projections. If someone thinks about ghosts even in broad daylight, one will definitely see those ghosts externally due to repeated in- ternal psychic projection. On the contrary, a person who has never thought about ghosts will never see ghosts even in the dead of night. In the process of constant brooding over ghosts, a major portion of the mind becomes concentrated, and suspended in the object of that internal psychic projection. In that case the entire personality of the individual con- cerned is disturbed. He or she starts thinking, “I am the ghost,” and acts accordingly. The disease of hysteria is similar to this ghost phobia or ghost possession.

Again, there are some people who sometimes experience spirit possession: perhaps at night they feel possessed by the spirit of the goddess Kalii or by Lord Shiva. These are all psychological phenomena. Hence this proves that for living beings there are both physical

54 and psychic actions: they think of so many things, and what they think within, they cannot speak out either due to shame or fear of social criticism.

Remember that the less the gap there is between one’s internal thinking and one’s external action, the better person one is. Obviously the inner personality and the outer personality should be one. Usually it is found that there is a gap between these aspects of a single per- son, and with the passage of time this gap goes on increasing, and finally one’s real per- sonality becomes completely lost. This split personality is a great impediment to human progress. Do not allow such a thing to happen. Today’s civilization is not a civilization in the true sense of the term. I urge society’s thinkers to analyse this situation deeply. What is the major defect in our civilization? It is this very split personality: the inner personality and the outer personality differ, and that difference is gradually increasing. Such a split personality is rarely found among the rural masses. In Parama Puruśa also such a defect cannot be found because for Him there is no difference between internal and external – for Him everything is internal, nothing is external; everything is within, nothing is without. Thus from the actional point of view there is some difference between jiiva and Shiva, between Parama Puruśa and His creation.

Next comes vipáka. The word vipáka is derived from vi - pac + ghain.̭ Vipáka literally means the reaction of an original action: whenever a person does an original action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. But to state only this much is not enough: something more must be added, and that is “provided the three factors, time, space and person re- main unchanged.” If there is the slightest change in time, space or person, the reaction will not be equal and opposite: it will be either slightly more or less. For example, suppose Mr. X borrowed the amount of Rs. 2000 from Mr. Y one evening at 7.30 p.m. If Mr. X returns the amount the same day, he will not be required to pay anything extra. But if he returns the amount the next day, then he will have to pay a certain amount as interest on the original amount, because there has been a lapse of time.

Similarly, if someone commits some wrong or undesirable action, then the requital will not be equal to the original action because the reaction is not expressed immediately after the original action is performed; it usually takes place after several hours or days. It may even take a few decades for its expression. For this the wrongdoer will have to undergo a reaction which is greater in degree than the original action: the doer will have to undergo a certain amount of pain as “interest” to the original action. This is what is meant by the term vipáka. It is applicable only to the microcosms and not to Parama Puruśa, for human beings perform actions both in the physical and psychic spheres, and for their undesirable actions in the psychic spheres, too, they will have to suffer the consequences. It is said in the scriptures that in Kalii Yuga (the present Age of Darkness), mental sin is no sin at all, and this may be true to some extent. But it is also true that although psychic sin is not punishable, still it must be avoided.

External sin, expressed in physical action, should not only be avoided but it is punishable as well. Take for instance, the case of someone stealing with one’s own hands: for this the thief will have to undergo punishment. But suppose someone steals mentally: by this no one on earth is harmed. This mental crime may not be punishable, but it should definitely

55 be avoided, because if people often think about committing theft, as a result of prolonged thinking one day their hands will certainly be engaged in the actual act of stealing. Now if Parama Puruśa does something mentally, that also involves vipáka or reaction, whether good or bad. The fact is that although Parama Puruśa does not do anything bad, He cer- tainly does good, and these good actions also beget good reactions. It is the divine decree that good actions beget good reactions, and bad actions beget bad reactions. The former is like golden chains, and the latter like iron chains. Yet in the case of Parama Puruśa this question of reaction is not applicable, because there is nothing beyond Him – everything in this expressed universe is all created within Him, and He is dealing with His own cre- ated objects according to His own wishes. Thus no question of good or bad can arise, and that is why the matter of suffering the consequence of action also does not arise in His case. If you slap a decent person, that will be an undesirable action on your part; but if you slap your own cheek, will that also be considered an undesirable act? No, certainly not. No one will ever criticize you, or file a suit against you for this, because it is exclu- sively your personal matter. Likewise, whatever Parama Puruśa does, He does with His own created objects, and hence in that case the question of vipáka does not arise.

Next comes áshaya. The principal meaning of the word áshaya is ashraya or “shelter.” Each and every entity requires a shelter; for instance, the city of Nagpur where we are seated now requires a shelter. In this case Nagpur district is the shelter and of Nagpur where we are seated Nagpur city; and the shelter of Nagpur district is Nagpur commissionary; and the shelter of Nagpur commissionary is the state of Maharastra; and the shelter of Ma- harastra state is India; and the shelter of India is the continent of Asia. The continent of Asia is only a part of our little planet Earth, and this planet Earth is only a small part of our solar system. And finally Parama Puruśa is the shelter of all the solar system. So if Parama Puruśa is the shelter of all, then what is the shelter of Parama Puruśa? The answer is that Parama Puruśa does not require any shelter. Regarding Him the scriptures say, “Nirálamb- amiishaḿ”; that is, the Supreme Entity does not require any shelter or refuge. But for the microcosms, a shelter is indispensable.

If the microcosms are to save themselves from afflictions or kleśa, then they will have to acquire all the qualities or characteristics of the Supreme Entity. The akliśt́avrtti or non- painful propensities are inherent both in jiiva and Shiva, in microcosm and Macrocosm. Hence human beings will have to encourage this non-painful propensity more and more; that is, let human beings practice sádhaná more intensively and look upon all their mun- dane duties as part of their spiritual practice, thus superimposing cosmic ideation on all their actions. Only thus can they avoid undergoing afflictions. If people become more and more regular in the application of their guru mantra, then on one hand they will be able to perform more and more physical activities, and at the same time they will be able to avoid creating new saḿskáras (reactive momenta). Regarding vipáka it can also be said that hu- man beings must treat all the objects of this universe in the proper perspective as the vari- ous expressions of Parama Puruśa, and learn how to apply madhuvidyá even while dis- charging their mundane duties.

Regarding áshaya, spiritual aspirants should remember that they will have to become completely dedicated to their ideology or ádarsha. More important than this is that they

56 will have to become dedicated to their Iśt́a; they will have to establish a relationship of ex- clusive devotion to Iśt́a. If there is not intense attachment to one’s Iśt́a in one’s heart, then one cannot do anything. Thus during sádhaná you should think that as you are thinking of Parama Puruśa, He is also thinking of you. This is the proper devotion to one’s Iśt́a. When people do something exclusively for themselves, their mental tendency is called áshakti or attachment, and when they do something not for their personal satisfaction but for the pleasure of Parama Puruśa, their mental tendency is called bhakti or devotion.

Parama prema svarúpa: whatever the Lord does, He does for the welfare of His created beings and not for His own interest. He is inexplicable: no language can properly explain Him. The microcosms on the other hand, have limited intellect. They are goaded into ac- tion by trivial self-interest. Once a certain gentleman, a businessman, was asked to laugh. He said, “I am ready to laugh provided it brings me some profit.” Without considering the profit and loss of any action, he could not act. But such a question does not arise in the case of Parama Puruśa. Whatever He does, He does for the welfare of all creatures. He is inexplicable also: but the ways and behaviour of microcosms can be explained. Regarding any individual, we can say that he or she is such-and-such type of person: “She is very fru- gal… he is good-hearted but sharp-tongued, etc.”

An old definition of verse is vákyaḿ rasátmakam ́ kávyam. When a story is narrated in a lucid manner it is called kávya or poetic verse. Who is a poet? One who knows all the three phases of time – past, present and future. In the modern age, the Sanskrit word kavi is translated as “poet” in English, but in old Sanskrit the word did not necessarily mean a poet – it meant a self-realized person.

In older days the scriptures or shástras were divided into several categories. Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirttitah: that which leads to human welfare through a sys- tem of discipline is called shástra. That is, the books which lay down certain guidelines as to what actions should or should not be done, which actions are conducive to human pro- gress and which lead to degradation, are called shástra. They are divided into four catego- ries: kávya (verse), puráńa (mythology), itihása (educative history), and itikathá (history).

Itikathá or history, means the recording of chronological events; that is, the maintenance of a record of events as they took place in succession; and itihása means that portion of itikathá or history which has some specific educative value – it has no English synonym. Hence all history or itikathá is not itihása. When we refer to the history of India, it means the itikathá, not itihása, of India. Now, the definition of itihása is:

Dharmártha káma mokśárthaḿ niitivákyasamanvitam purávrttakatháyuktam itihásah pra- cakśyate.

That which leads to the attainment of dharma, artha, káma and mokśa (psycho-spiritual, psychic, physical and spiritual attainnment, respectively), that which leads to the attain- ment of a deep sense of morality, is called itihása. Iti hásati ityarthe itihása. Judged in this light, the Mahábhárata can be called itihása. What is taught in schools and colleges these days in the name of itihása should not be called thus; rather it should be called itikathá, itivrtta, purákathá, or purávrtta.

57 And what is puŕána or mythology? In puŕána the narrative event is not factually accurate, but it contains a good deal of educative value. The Rámáyańa is such a puŕána because it contains much material to educate the people. The great Vyasadeva composed the puŕánas in order to demonstrate that doing good to others brings victory, and doing harm to others brings defeat.

Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiirańam.

Vyasadev wrote something about the inexplicable nature of the Lord. While describing Parama Puruśa, who transcends words, a great deal of verbal explanation has been made of the different occasions. For example, there are some descriptions regarding His extraor- dinary loveliness, apparel, ornaments etc., but these are not at all proper because He is beyond description. It is not possible to write something about an Entity who is indescrib- able. So at the end of the shloka the author begged Parama Puruśa for forgiveness:

Rúpaḿ rúpavivarjjtasya bhavato yadhyánena kalpitaḿ Stutyánirvacaniiyatákhiloguro dúriikrtá yanmayá Vyápitvaḿca nirákrtaḿ bhagavato yat tiirthayátrádiná Kśantavyaḿ jagadiisho tadvikalatádośa trayaḿ mat krtam

“You are the Formless Entity, yet I have committed the error of describing Your form: this was my first offense. You are a Non-Attributional Entity and yet I have tried to describe Your attributes – Your infinite compassion, for You are the embodiment of Grace. This is my second offense. I know you are omnipotent, and even so I have extolled the glories of certain places of pilgrimage, and thus I have limited Your all-pervasiveness. I have de- scribed the merit one acquires by visiting certain places of pilgrimage, by bathing in holy rivers, by performing various sacrifices, charities and rituals – this is my third offense. Oh Parama Puruśa, I have committed these mistakes knowingly, and hence I beg Your forgive- ness.”

The Supreme Entity is aniirvacaniiyah parama prema svarupa: that is, He is indescribable – no words can describe Him, whereas living beings can easily be described by words. Eve- rything concerned with Parama Puruśa is infinite, whereas living beings are all finite. Then what should the microcosms do to attain Parama Puruśa? They must meditate on Him, and in this process they will one day attain that infinite love themselves. Regarding Parama Puruśa, the scriptures say:

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát; Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháungulam.̭ (1)

Human beings perform actions with a limited mind, whereas Parama Puruśa performs ac- tions with His infinite mind, and thus human beings can never compare themselves to Him. Human beings read a few books and, puffed up with vanity of knowledge, say, “Can you show us where Parama Puruśa is?” Now the question is, do they have the proper vi- sion to visualise Him? If you tell a blind person to describe the parts of an elephant’s body, can he do it? Before describing the elephant, one must have the vision to see it: so first the blind man’s sight must be restored. Human beings see with two eyes, and both eyes are in

58 front. Of course, if they had one eye in front and one in the back, that would also serve the purposes. But fortunately or unfortunately both eyes are in front and so they cannot see what is happening behind their backs. Whereas Parama Puruśa is seeing everything with His infinite number of eyes. He knows even what human beings do secretly or think in- wardly.

He is sahasrapát – with a thousand feet. Human beings are limited by time, space and per- son. Suppose you are at Nagpur. You are thinking, “Had this town of Nagpur been very close to Hyderabad, I could have got my work done more easily!” But Parama Puruśa faces no such difficulty. He does not need to move from one place to another. Suppose someone has his or her Master’s Degree in geography. If that degree-holder is asked, “Can you say how many houses are there in Nagpur city? How many bricks are there in those houses?” – I am sure he or she cannot answer those questions. I have yet to meet a pandit who can tell me how many bricks are in the town of Nagpur. Human knowledge is very limited, very imperfect. Hence it is totally pointless to pride oneself on so-called intellec- tual knowledge or pedantry. In fact, human beings have nothing to be proud of except one thing, and that is Parama Puruśa. What type of pride is this? Human beings can think, “A perfect Entity like Parama Puruśa is my Father, I am His dear affectionate child.” This sort of vanity and pride can be harboured. But besides this human beings have no other treasure of which to feel proud.

Human beings can at most remember events which took place only a couple of days ago. Often they are quite ignorant of what will happen just after one second. Mostly they say something or perform some actions on the basis of assumptions. But Parama Puruśa is om- niscient; everything, past, present and future is at His fingertips. But the knowledge of liv- ing beings is very limited. If those of you who have acquired the highest university degree are asked to sit for examination right now, perhaps none of you will pass the exam, and if you are asked to answer the same questions which were given to you when you passed from the university, you will certainly not be able to answer them, for you have completely forgotten the topics which you studied in the past. In such a situation, should human be- ings be proud of their intellect? Yet they are often misguided by a false sense of superiority or inferiority.

Suppose there is a Master’s Degree-holder in a certain village, and in that village no one else knows even A, B, C, D. If you visit his village you will find that that so-called edu- cated person, because of his vanity and false sense of superiority, does not even talk to the illiterate villagers – he feels ashamed to speak to his old friends. In this way human beings develop meaningless ideas of big and small, high and low: they lose their universal vision.

But for Parama Puruśa there is no difference between educated and uneducated, literate and illiterate, high and low, black and white. Human beings always discriminate between those who are socially high and low: they disdain the low and prefer the high-born. This sense of discrimination exists only among living beings. Parama Puruśa always remains with people in their joys and sorrows. A virtuous person when in trouble says to Parama Puruśa. “Oh Lord, save me!” Similarly, a thoroughly wicked person also says, “Oh Lord, save me!” Parama Puruśa listens equally to both of them. In this regard I have already said

59 that Parama Puruśa cannot do two things. First, He cannot create another Parama Puruśa like Himself. He can create everything, but He cannot create a second Parama Puruśa. Secondly, He cannot hate anyone even if He wants to. But human beings commit the mistake of hating others easily. So in this respect human beings are ahead of Parama Pu- ruśa, that they can hate others!

Those who are seated in Heaven are as dear to Parama Puruśa as those who are ensconced in Hell, scorched in eternal hellfire. Even for those infernal creatures Parama Puruśa has unbounded love and affection – even such people are not helpless. Their piteous wailings reach His ears, and accordingly He takes steps to help them. But this is not the case for human beings: rather even at the sight of the sorrows and sufferings of afflicted people they will say, “Well done! as you sow, so you reap! Those people are reaping the conse- quences of their past misdeeds!” In the human mind there is an ingrained sense of hatred for others. But there is no such feeling in the mind of Parama Puruśa.

Parama Puruśa is the all-controlling Entity. No one else can dictate to Him. This is the ma- jor difference between jiiva and Shiva. In spite of such a serious difference, Parama Puruśa loves human beings and showers His Grace on them, and out of His infinite love for them, He has given them a valuable treasure – mind. The characteristic of this mind is that as it thinks so it becomes. Hence if they so desire, human beings can merge their individual minds in the Macrocosmic Mind. While taking the ideation of Parama Puruśa, human minds will one day become identified with Him, and one auspicious moment all the in- herent qualities of Parama Puruśa will be infused in their unit minds. Brahmavid Brah- maeva bhavati: One who knows Brahma becomes Brahma.

And I have already said that there cannot be two Parama Puruśas. So in the last stage of evolution, the living beings become completely identified with Parama Puruśa, and then only the microcosms will be fully established in their infinite blissful Cosmic Stance.

17 November 1971 DMC, Nagpur

Footnotes

(1) Rgveda Puruśasúktam. –Trans.

60 The True Devotee

The demarcation between right and wrong, sin and piety, dos and don’ts, exists only for those who are not true devotees. True devotees can think only of Parama Puruśa – their every action is to please Parama Puruśa. For them, there is only sádhaná and selfless serv- ice to the universe – and because selfless service is to please the Lord, that also helps sá- dhaná. Tapah [selfless service] is part of sádhaná. True devotees are unable to think of right and wrong, but because they wish only to please Parama Puruśa, they can only do good, all their actions will be benevolent. So you are not just to worry about right and wrong, about dos and don’ts – you are to develop that true devotion for Parama Puruśa.

There is a story about Lord Krśńa, that he became very ill and a great number of doctors come to cure Him, but all with no success. The followers of Lord Krśńa became agitated and prayed to Him that He direct them how to cure Him. Whereupon Lord Krśńa de- clared, “When my true devotee comes to me with the dust from his feet, and when I touch that dust, that will be my cure.” The followers were taken aback – they could not think of doing such a thing – to have Lord Krśńa touch their dirty feet! Yet when a town urchin heard of this he came forward with the reply, “I do not know if I am a true devotee of Lord Krśńa, but I do love Lord Krśńa and if the dust of my feet will cure Him, I am most glad to oblige Him.”

Such is the true devotee, and such devotion you are all to develop, through your sádhaná and your service. But of course, until you develop such devotion, you must distinguish what to do from what not.

10 October 1971 evening, Patna

61 The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 3

The great sage Aungirá said:

Sa vedaetatparamaḿ Brahmadháma Yatra vishvaḿ nihitam bháti shubhram Upásate puruśaḿye hyakámáste Shukrametadativartanti dhiiráh.

The one who has known the Supreme Brahma has really known Him as the refuge of this universe. The One Who is the ultimate refuge of each and everything, animate and inani- mate, movable and immovable, from the Supreme creation… Brahma – to the lowliest blade of grass, is the supreme goal, the final beatitude. The universe has been created within Him and is indeed radiant with His radiance. That the universe is created within Him is not all that can be said. It is the transformation of His own Self. It is evolved by Him. He is the substance as well as the cause of this universe. It is the cooperative crea- tion of the sixteenfold distortions (ten sensory and motor organs, the mind and the five Tanmátras or inferences) and the eight binding factors of Prakrti that are there as the cause and effect of His qualitative manifestations. The seeds and potentials of this universe are also inherent in them. It is for this vastness that He has been called Brahma, which means Great (Brahatvád Brahma). Then again the One who makes another great, the One with whose thought and bearing the small unit establishes itself in the vastness, is also called Brahma (Brḿhańatvád Brahma). When this world is within Him, then He must necessarily be greater than the world. Suppose there is a box in a room; then the room must be greater than the box. That is why there is space for the box, otherwise it could not have been accommodated. That in which this universe is implanted is naturally greater than the universe. The entire universe is pivoting around its knower, its Nucleus, in a cyclic order in the vast body of Puruśa. Revolving thus in this cycle the one who progresses towards the knowing Entity by virtue of one’s spiritual force attains unity with Him, becomes one with Him. They become Brahma themselves, and that is why He has the quality of making one great.

Brahma is effulgent in white radiance. The Shruti says that Puruśa and Prakrti are indivisi- ble and inseparable. Where Prakrti (the operative principle) is active over Puruśa, Puruśa is of white radiance. In the Gáyattri mantra the word, “Bharga”, is used in the sense of white radiance, and that is why this “Bharga” and Saguńa Brahma (The subjectivated Transcen- dentality) are inseparable. The inseparability of Brahma and His Radiance is fully substan- tiated by the real meaning and analysis of the word “Bharga”. It is trilateral, the combina- tion of three letters, viz., “Bha”, “Ra”, “Ga”.

“Bha” – Bhásayatiimállokániti, i.e., by which the world is illuminated.

“Ra” – Rainja̭ yatiimátáni, i.e., that which provides happiness for the living beings.

62 “Ga” – Gacchatyasmin ágacchatyasmád imáh prajáh, i.e., that in which the entire creation merges after emanation therefrom.

The Shruti says:

Bheti bhásayate lokán Reti Rainja̭ yati prajáh Ga ityágacchatyajasraḿ Bharagát Bharga ucyate.

Generally speaking, the word, “Bharga” is used verily in the sense of Brahmic effulgence. Now the question arises, whether Brahma and His radiance are two different entities. If we say Ráma has such and such qualities or Shyáma has such and such qualities – aren’t the individuals and their qualities two absolutely separate entities? Such distinctiveness is not applicable to limitless, integral, Brahma, who is without a second. Brahma and His radi- ance are not two separate entities, for He is autophanous – self-luminous. Citing the in- stance of Ráhu’s(1) (Dragon’s) head we have to say that He is characteristically radiant.

This creation is triple-attributional. The game of the three attributes goes on in everything and everywhere in the universe, and they have not spared the human body. The region below the navel is dominated by tamoguńa (static principle), the region from navel to throat, by rajoguńa (mutative influence) and the region from throat to trikuti (the junction of the two eyebrows, where the seat of the mind is located,) by sattvaguńa (sentient influ- ence). Normally, a particular region in the body becomes more active in accordance with the vrtti or epithymetic influence or the inter- and intra-ectoplasmic occupation of an indi- vidual. When a sádhaka is established in his/her mental seat by virtue of his/her hearing, thinking and profound meditation, he or she being then established in sattvaguńa (Sentient quality), realizes the Supreme Being in His Super-white glory, as is the wont of Sentient quality. When one goes beyond the mental sphere, one merges in the objectlessness of the Nirguńa Brahma in the Brahmarondhra (an aperture in the crown of the head) and thus reaches beyond the scope of colors. Bharga or white color also disappears from him. A desireless person, who worships this Supreme Puruśa absolves himself from the momenta of rebirths due to mind being objectless or desire-free. Such an individual goes beyond the cycle of ordinary birth and death. In other words, one’s mental force goes beyond the stars (’Shukrá means Venus, a planet) due to one’s being established in the Supreme Entity.

Kámá yah kámayate manyamánah Sa kámábhirjjáyate tatra tatra Paryáptakámasya krtátmanastu ihaeva sarve praviliiyanti kámáh.

According to human longings and desires or according to human propensive pursuit, their minds take form i.e., they will gradually acquire the like saḿskáras or reactive momenta. They first see within themselves what they aspire for and then let their minds flow towards it. Thereafter the external organs i.e., hands and feet, etc., set about achieving it. And so it is generally seen that the desires that they had been giving indulgence to throughout their lives, come hurtling over to them in a condensed form at the last hour, i.e., their mind-stuff takes the like mental form for the last time in order to shape itself into a fitting medium of the like saḿskáras. Even during the life-time as well it is seen that the mind-stuff of a

63 drunkard, which imbibes within it an indomitable desire or saḿskára for wine, turns into a vantage ground for undergoing the next saḿskáras or momenta of pleasure and pain. That is to say, such a person gets scent of the wine shop by the sheer propulsion of his acquired mental propensity, if he happens to go to a new and unfamiliar place. A man who has cul- tivated dog-like or swine-like desires all his life, dies with the same dog-like or swine-like frame of mind. Thereafter with the help of Prakrti’s Mutative force he acquires the form of a dog or swine in order to undergo the dog-like or swine-like saḿskáras. The great ascetic, King Bharata, died thinking of a fawn, and that was why it is written in the Puráńas (Indian mythologies) that he had to take the body of a deer at his next birth.

But he who is fully satiated, i.e., he whose longings and desires have consumed them- selves, obliviates even the possibility of any such thought-wave later because of the ab- sence of any saḿskára. Such all-satiated persons are indeed self-purified. How can final satiety possibly come unless and until that Whole – that Supreme Spirit – is achieved? Hence he who has attained full satiety has indeed reduced all his saḿskáras to nothing- ness right here in this world and so he has gone beyond the cycle of life and death.

From the inanimate to the animate goes the process of evolution. Take a piece of stone for instance. It has neither the power of action nor the sensation of mind. What is the reason? It is because hitherto there has been no manifestation of mind in the stone at all. Thought- wave or sensation can take place or an action can take a form only if there is a mind. Take, for instance, trees and plants which are more animate than stones. There are activities in them. They grow, draw the vital juice from the earth, maintain their species by creating seeds in their own bodies and enjoy and suffer pleasure and pain, when taken care of or smitten. We see in them the manifestation of consciousness or animation, for the mind has awakened in them. Thus progressing on the path of psychogenesis or mental development we see in humans the greatest manifestation. Just as during the cosmic thought-process the evolution takes place from the subtle to the crude, similarly the unit retroverts step by step from the crude to the subtle, towards the same Absolute Consciousness from where it had come. It is just like the waves of the sea rippling back from the shore to the ocean from where they had originally come. Now, just how much should a person strive on his return journey? He has got to be alert, so that he may easily end the journey in his characteristic Self. Then alone shall we call him self-purified. Then alone shall he become saturated with Brahma, within and without.

To become self-purified one has got to make some effort – this effort is what is known as sádhaná. The greatest sádhaná is that which comprises three aspects viz., devotion, action and cognition. Medium sádhaná is that which comprises two aspects i.e., devotion and action, and the inferior sádhaná is that which consists of only tall talk (cognition or knowl- edge cannot exist singly without action and devotion – whatever may exist will be merely the debris of knowledge). The ability of a sádhaka cannot be based on his common or worldly knowledge alone. It can only stand on the firm base of his knowledge, devotion and action (jinána,̭ bhakti and karma). By firmness I mean unflinching intensity of zeal and earnestness. By just saying that rasagollá is sweet, one cannot get the taste of a rasagollá (a spongy and juicy sweetmeat). One has got to make some efforts to obtain it and eat it.

64 Náyamátmá pravacanena labhyo na medhayá na vahuná shrutena Yamevaeśa vrńute tena labhya stasyaeśa átmávivrńute tanúḿ syám.

By tall talks alone one cannot achieve Brahma. An almanac forecasts that there will be so much rain this year. But mere knowledge of such a forecast will not save the crops of a farmer. No amount of squeezing the almanac will produce even a drop of water. One has got to do sádhaná to habituate one’s mind to Brahmaward projection in order to attain Him.

Anubhútiḿ viná múd́ho vrthá Brahmańimodate Prativimbitashákhágraphalasvádanomodavat.

–Maetreyii Shruti

If a person, without anubhúti or intuitional susceptibility, studies scriptures a million times or lectures on Brahma, his Brahma will ever remain a bookish Brahma, not the Brahma of one’s conception or realization. Just as one seeing in water the reflection of fruit dangling overhead from the branch of a tree cannot taste the fruit, similarly an erudite scholar, versed in the six philosophies, will remain far away from Brahma if one refrains from Brahma-sádhaná. No matter how vastly learned you may become in worldly knowledge, without sádhaná you can know nothing about Brahma, for along with your knowledge of these lores, a vanity of knowledge will also grow in you. With this result, you will go on enhancing the volume of your burden unnecessarily by habitually giving importance to your small ego. This burden becomes the cause of your sufferings and enjoyments, not of your salvation. Ácárya Shaḿkar said:

Vák vaekharii shobdajharii shástravyákhánakaoshalam Vaeduśyaḿ vidúsaḿ tadvat bhuktaye na tu muktaye.

You will come across many such people who do not practice spiritual meditation them- selves but will run after great spiritual men in order to hear their sermons. These people are totally wrong. Only running after great men will be of no avail. A person has got to establish himself in the path of realization of Brahma by doing sádhaná himself. God does not bestow His mercy upon anybody after seeing how great a speaker he is or how many books he has read. Only one who has devotion can exact His mercy. The great devotee, Maharśi Nárada said.

Mahadkrpáyaeva bhagavadkrpáleshádvá.

That is, Brahma can be realized by achieving even a tiny bit of God’s grace or that of a great person. Take a very intelligent boy for instance. If his teacher does not teach him how to read and write, he will not be able to become a great scholar in spite of having the po- tential for becoming one. Similarly, all persons have the ability or potentiality of achieving spiritual development or of establishing themselves in the Brahmic stance, but for want of a worthy guide it cannot take practical shape. That is why a spiritual Preceptor or Sadguru is necessary – his grace is indispensable. His grace is but God’s grace, for God is the ocean of grace.

65 Náyamátmá balahiinena labhyo na ca pramádáttapaso vápyoliungáṱ Etaerupáyaeryatate yastu vidváḿ stasyaeśa átmá vishate Brahmadháma.

Those who are weak, i.e., who have neither spiritual nor mental force, do not achieve in- tuitional knowledge. The timid and cowardly remain remote from Brahmabháva or cosmic ideation. You may have seen that bribe-takers or liars will talk ill of Ánanda Márga out of fear of following the principles of Yama and Niyama.

Another great trait of a sádhaka is his self-confidence. “ I must have fulfillment” – “I must attain final beatitude” – this strong conviction is the stepping stone to success.

Phaliśyattiiti vishvása siddherprathamolakśańam Dvitiiyaḿ shraddhayá yuktaḿ tritiiyaḿ gurupujanam Caturtho samatábhávo paincamendriy̭ a nigrahah Śaśt́hainca̭ pramitáháro saptamaḿ naevávidyate.

–Shiva Saḿhita

He who has taken the determination to attain final beatitude cannot be indifferent to sá- dhaná. Indifference to mundane duties or flying above the world with a resolute detach- ment is but a mental disease. Those who want to give themselves up to divine contempla- tion in the cave of the Himalayas, leaving their homes, are misguided. The word, sannyása, means to dedicate oneself for the attainment of God. When Brahma is everything, what- ever you are, you must behave properly with everything around you. Hence to be callous about family and society is completely contrary to Brahma sádhaná (Divine Contempla- tion). One cannot know Brahma through showy, superficial knowledge. You can only at- tain Brahma, when your knowledge has become strong and powerful through austere de- votion to Truth. Only the soul of the one whose knowledge is identified with austerity, en- ters the abode of Brahma. Ultimately the united qualities of sedateness, mental and spiri- tual force, firmness, devotion to Truth, knowledge, the proper use of mundane things etc. will certainly enable a sádhaka to attain unity with Brahma.

Samprápyaenamrśayo jinánarptáh̭ krtátmano viitargáh prashántáh Te sarvagaḿ sarvatah prápya dhiirá Yuktátmanah sarvamevávishanti.

The word “Rśi”, means a sádhaka who has cultivated Brahma within himself. So long as a sádhaka does not attain Brahma, there exists in him a feeling of incompleteness. Suppose you want a thousand rupees. If you are given a thousand rupees, will you be contented? No, you will then ask for more. Such is the characteristic of human mind. Man has a lim- itless thirst. He keeps on harping ceaselessly, “I am hungry.” The hunger for a thousand will change into hunger for a lakh, and hunger for a lakh will make room for hunger for a crore. Thus the amount of hunger goes on increasing until a limitless amount of money is attained. This limitlessness is inherent in Brahma, and so your hunger can be satiated in Brahma alone. Hence when a “Rśi” attains complete self-control (krtátman), he goes be-

66 yond the sphere of attachment and detachment, and attains full realization of his charac- teristic Self. He becomes imperturbably tranquil, i.e. he reaches the stage which lies be- yond the momentum of rebirth or regeneration. Attachment and repulsion exist so long as the proclivities of fascination and contempt exist. For instance, a puritanical sádhaka will consider wine as an object of disdain and will regard touching it as an act of impiety. A wine addict, however, regarding it as an object of greed, will run after it with total disre- gard for all social conventions and norms. But he who has become really desireless as the result of self-realization, will keep himself above these two. He will take wine as medicine under medical advice, otherwise he will carefully keep it away from the sight of people. He will have neither attachment nor aversion for the wine.

If you go to Kanyákuḿarii (Cape Comorin), you will see on one side the restless surging waves of the Bay of Bengal and on the other the tranquil Arabian Sea. The Bay of Bengal is not very deep and so there are as much waves as roars, and the Arabian Sea, which is very deep, remains calm and meditative. Similarly, he who is satiated of knowledge and de- sireless, remains calm and tranquil. Why on earth should he indulge in self-publicity? To whom will he publicize himself? Such acts are the antics of common, avaricious people with beggar-like mentality. Man who has attained Brahma will see His Glory in everything and feel that nothing is separate from Him. Where is the fear of any Saḿskára or reactive momentum for the one who has surrendered himself to Brahma?

Abhaypade práń sanpechi Árki shaman bhay rekhechi.

The sádhaka who has known Brahma loses himself – merges himself in Him. He does not have to undergo the cycle of births and deaths any more.

Gatáh kaláh paincadasha̭ pratiśt́há Deváshca sarve pratidevatásu Karmáńi vijinánama̭ yashca átmá Pare’vyaye sarva ekiibhavanti.

Human existence is concerned with sixteen factors, (kalás), from which there is no means of escape, so long as human desires are efferent or extrovertive – so long as he is busy, seeking the objects of happiness from this material world. There are ten organs, (five sen- sory organs, e.g., eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin, and five motor organs, i.e., speech, hands, feet, anus and generative organ), five práńáh or internal vital airs, viz., Práńa, Apána, Samána, Udána and Vyána (Nága, Kúrma, Krkara, Devadatta and Dhanainja̭ ya – these five external váyus or airs do not belong to the sixteen kalás for these are the resul- tants of the internal airs themselves), and Ahaḿtattva (ego) – sixteen in all. The sum total of fifteen kalás of a theopathic sádhaka get merged in their original causes. All these gods(2) or organs finally lose themselves in their respective counter-gods, i.e., controlling powers.

Behind each manifestation of the indescribable games of sound, touch, form, taste and smell that are going on in this vast universe, there is a significant expression of some par- ticular forces. These forces we call gods. Playing and frolicking on the boy of the Macro-

67 cosm, each of these forces is activating and controlling the human body as a whole and individually with each and every action and sentiment of the human limbs and parts. The forces that activate the ten organs, through which one acts, are called of the senses. After death each of the organs of an emancipated sádhaka gets merged into its own god. His deeds, his soul become ensconced in the Viijnánamaya and Hirańyamaya kośas, the fif- teen kalás and the counter-gods of the gods (what we call gods in reference to unit bodies are known as counter-gods in their pervasive sense in reference to the Macrocosmic Body) – all merge in the Supreme Being after the demise of the sádhaka. In other words, the emancipated sádhaka attains a place beyond the pale of life and death. He becomes one with the imperishable Brahma in His final beatitude.

The union of a sádhaka with Brahma has been elucidated through an excellent example. Just as a river giving up its name and identity, completely merges in the sea and thereafter cannot maintain its own existence except that of the sea, similarly a sádhaka, after merg- ing himself in Brahma, can no more think of himself except Brahma.

Yathá nadyah syandamánáh samudrestaḿ gacchati námarúpe viháya Tathá vidvánnámarupádvimuktah parátparaḿ puruśamupaeti divyam.

Seeing the Ganges we can identify the water of the Ganges. Similarly we can recognize the water of the Yamuná or the water of the Sarasvatii but once they merge in the sea, we cannot separate them nor can we distinguish the one from the other. Nevertheless, they are all there. They all have lost their respective names in the identity of the sea. Similarly when a knower of Truth merges in the Supreme Being, his petty sense of existence loses itself, and, attaining unity with the Supreme Entity, he becomes Supreme Himself. Spiritual practice is meant for the expansion of the soul, not for the annihilation of it and so samádhi does not mean suicide but self-oblivion.

Sa yo ha vae tat paramaḿ Brahma veda Brahmaeva bhavati; Násya brahmavit kule bhavati; Tarati shokaḿ tarati pápnánáḿ Guhágranthibhyo vimkto’mrto bhavati.

He who has known Supreme Brahma, becomes Brahma Himself, for the unit takes on the very form of its object. He who has Brahma as his object, goes to the world of Brahma af- ter death, i.e., becomes Brahma Himself. In the family of such a Brahma-knowing one, is never born a non-Brahma-knowing person. The word kula is derived from the root Ku + lá + dá. “Ku” means world and “la” means to hold. That which the world holds is called kula. (Its third meaning being the unit force or jiiva-shakti.(3) The lowest part of the verte- bral column or spine is also called Kulakuńd́alinii). The word holds the human family and that is why the family or lineage is called kula. Here the word, kula, is used in the sense of Brahma-sútra (Divine link), which is denotative of hereditary preceptor-disciple relation- ship and by which the creation is held – or which is held by the creation. It is claimed that the intuitional knowledge is thus preserved hereditarily. The knower of Brahma goes be- yond the sphere of all pains and inequities. When through sádhaná or spiritual practice the Kulakuńdalinii-force pierces through the heart, the sádhaka gets emancipated and at-

68 tains deathlessness and thereafter goes to the region beyond the reach of death for all eter- nity.

Elsewhere in the Shruti it is said:

Bhidyate hrdayagranthishchidyante sarvasaḿshayáh Kśiiyante cásya karmáni tasmińdrśt́e parávare. Násájiivo na ca brahmá na cányadapi kiincana̭ Na tasya varńáh vidyante náshramáshca tathaeva ca.

–Páshupata Brahma

In such a condition can we at all call the emancipated Puruśa a unit being? This great man, whose guhágranthi [Anáhata Cakra] has been pierced and who has merged himself in Brahma due to the absence of saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta], has attained a po- sition even above Brahmá, Viśńu and Maheshvara.(4)

Brahma is not classifiable under any varńa or color, but His thoughts are of course col- oured. Colour coexists with the sound that necessarily exists in the thought. These colours and sounds are indicative of different guńas or qualities.

Varńa Quality Colour

Bráhmańa  Sattva (Sentient)     White Kśatriya  Sattva plus Rajah (Sentient plus Mutative) Red Vaeshya  Rajah plus Tamah (Mutative plus Static) Yellow Shúdra  Tamah (Static)     Black

Brahma Himself is beyond all colors. So He is above the four varńas or áshramas like Brahmin, Kśatriya etc. The end of varńas (colors) and the beginning of avarńa (absence of color) takes place in the Trikuti (the seat of the mind) and so in the sádhaná of the avarńa (or colorless) we have got to recognize and accept the Trikuti directly or indirectly.

Na tasya dharmo’dharmashca na niśedho vidhirńa ca Yadá brahmátmakaḿ sarvaḿ vibháti tata eva tu.

–Páshupata Brahma

To the knower of Brahma dharma and adharma (piety and impiety) have no distinction. He is not even cognizant of discrimination between Scriptural sanctions and inhibitions. To him all have become one. There is nothing to accept or shun. The knower of Brahma will keep himself engaged in the meditation of Brahma all the time, awake or asleep, standing or sitting, eating or fasting. Constantly he will keep himself absorbed in thought of Brahma. All his acts, small or big, are dedicated to undergo the consequences of his deeds. The body to him is but a machine, through which his suffering and enjoyments of past deeds are done but no new action or its consequence can touch him.

69 Tadá dhukhádi bedo’yamábháso’pi na bhásate Jagat jiivádi rupeńa pasyannapi parátmavid.

–Páshupata Brahma

Pleasure and pain are but the distortion of mind. In samádhi (suspension of mind) comes the full equilibrium. At that time not a semblance of pleasure or pain remains save an at- titude of absolute happiness.

Incidentally a story flashes across my mind. Pańd́ita Rámanátha of Navadvipa was a self- oblivious man. The King of Nadia, with a view to giving him some financial help, had once asked him, “Are you in want of anything?” The pańd́ita had then been absorbed in the world of ideas. He took the word “want” for his want of knowledge and replied, “Yes, I did feel the want of an explanation of a shloka but now it is clear to me.” The mahárájá then said, “No I am talking about want of money.” Rámanátha replied, “Look, you had better ask my wife about domestic affairs.” Then the mahárájá enquired of the wife. As is husband, so is his wife. She informed the King point blank, “Look, there is rice in the house and there are plenty of leaves on the tamarind tree. My husband relishes the stew of those leaves immensely. I don’t know of any other necessity.”

That is why I say, the greater the height reached by a person, inspired by a great ideal, the lesser shall be his sense of pleasure and pain. A wonderful show! People get dumb- founded at it but the magician himself remains unaffected as the secrets are all known to him. The spectators get stunned and overwhelmed by such a demonstration. The magician also sees the magic play but he does not get affected or overwhelmed. He only witnesses the play. Why? His only duty is to see if the play is being enacted properly. This world is also a magic play like this. Similarly the knower of Brahma only witnesses this game but he remains unaffected by it. He remains unattached in spite of his being in the midst of the world, living beings etc., – in spite of his being in the midst of sufferings and enjoyments. Maháprabhu Caetanya had said to his dear disciple:

Sthir hainá̭ grhe yáha ná hao bátul; Krame krame páy loke bhakti-sindhukúl. Markat́ vaerágya ná kara lok dekháiná;̭ Yatháriiti visaya-bhuinja̭ nirásakta hainá.̭ Antare niśt́há kara báhya lokavyavahár; Avashyai Krśńa tomá kariben uddhár.

–Krśńadás

* * *

Na tat pashyati cidrúpaḿ Brahma vasteva pashyati Dharmadhar mitva va rta ca bhede sati hi bhidyate.

–Páshupata Brahma

70 The knower of Brahma is like Consciousness itself. He has a thorough grasp of all objects. To a person of average intelligence water and ice are two different entities, but one who knows a little knows that ice is only a crudified form of water. Similarly where an average person sees a big difference between a pot and a potter or the religion and the religious, the knower of Brahma sees only the homogeneous oneness among them. Are the world and Brahma two different entities or are they indivisible? Is the one true and the other false? Is the difference that appears between the two, the truth or the lack of it? Such ques- tions or such ways of thinking would never arise in the mind of a person with a cosmic outlook.

Bhedábhedastathá bhedo’bhedah Sákśa Parátmana Násti svátmátirekeńa svayamevásti sarvada.

Whether the world and Brahma are two separate entities or one singular entity – such thoughts are wrong in themselves. The knower of Brahma feels that the world is indeed His own manifestation. He knows that all is He. Rámbábu and Shyámbábu are two entities in common parlance but do you know how that difference looks from the cosmic per- spective? No more than the difference between man and human being, between sea and ocean, between wife and better half. From a sádhaka’s standpoint distinction does not ex- ist. If I think of London in my mind, is there actually any difference between myself and that mental London. That is my own mental form, isn’t it?

Adhiśt́hánamanaopamayáumanasagocaram Yattadadreshyamagráhyamagotraḿ rúpavarjitam.

–Páshupata

The knower of Brahma then feels that as Brahma he abides in all objects – the nucleus of every thing. He feels that there exists no second entity in the universe. “No tasya pratima asti,” i.e., He has no comparison. Comparison calls for two objects and this means that there are two Brahmas. Hence Brahma is incomparable. Brahma is beyond the scope of words and mind and yet even that verbally and mentally incomprehensible Brahma is at- tainable by effort. You have got to touch Him with your innermost heart of hearts, got to hold him with your intuition, got to attain him by merging your soul in the Supreme Soul. His body is not a quinquelemental, finite entity that you can see with your eyes. He is in- deed subtler than the subtle, vaster than the vast. To see Him you have got to use the lens of knowledge, moving aside the blinding obstructions or bondage of Avidyá or the forces of microcosmic distraction. If a salt doll goes to fathom the sea, it will certainly melt and become the sea itself. Similarly if the knower of Brahma goes to fathom Brahma he will merge in the Sea of Brahma and become Brahma Himself “Brahmavid Brahmaeva bha- vati.” Constantly absorbed in the thought of Brahma, you too will become Brahma. Con- stantly thinking of a cockroach you will eventually become a cockroach. You cannot see Him with your crude eyes, for He is super-sensual, He has no pedigree or family line. This is so because He is unborn, beginningless and without causality. He is shapeless and formless. He has no form, for to ascribe a form to Him would be to impose a limit of de- marcation around the infinite entity. As soon as the limitless Brahma is given form and turned into a limited entity, He ceases to be Brahma or the Great.

71 Acakśurshrotramatyarthaḿ tadapáńipadaḿ tathá Nityaḿ vibhuḿ sarvagataḿ susukśmaḿca tadavyayam.

–Páshupata

He has no crude eyes but He sees everything with His cognitive vision. He has no ears, but He hears everything with His cognitive ears. Since nothing is outside Him He has no motor and sensory organs, but He does everything by dint of His imagination. For exam- ple, if you imagine a tree in your mind, its shadowy likeness will impress itself on your mental plate and a sense of visualizing the tree will be aroused in your mind. Does any independent tree actually exist outside you. Similarly Brahma is observing, hearing and doing everything by virtue of His thought-projection. He is an eternal, perpetual Entity be- yond the purview of past, present and future. Being without beginning and end, He is called Vibhu or Eternal. He is subtler than the subtle and beyond all kinds of destruction.

Bráhmaevedamamrtaḿ tatpurastád brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ caeva pashcát Brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ dakśińe ca brahmánandaḿ paramaḿ cottaraḿ ca.

–Páshupata

The characteristically deathless Brahma is present in front of us, behind us, right and left of us in fact – everywhere. It is impossible to run away from Him. We are completely sur- rounded by Him.

Umásaháyam parameshvaraḿ prabhuḿ trilocanaḿ nilakánt́haḿ prashátam Dhyátva munirgacchati bhútayonim samastasákśiim tamasah parastát.

–Kaevalya

Parama Puruśa is with Umá, Umá means Prakrti His operative principle. Brahma is the combined name of Puruśa and Prakrti. When the influence of Prakrti expresses itself upon the Puruśa, the cosmic thought process goes into action and by virtue of this activation by Prakrti, the sound of onm̭ ́kára can emanate. But when Prakrti is inactive, i.e., when Puruśa is predominant, in that case the Onm̭ ́kárá sound also stops. By a slight transposition of A. U. Ma the three constituent letters of the ideogram Onm̭ ́, i.e., placing, “A” at the end, we get the word Umá. That is why Umapati (Pati means husband) means Puruśa. Brahma, in conjucation with Prakrti, is the cause of creation. In a particular content He may also be called Iisvara, means Controller Brahma is the controller of the organs and their gods di- rectly and indirectly. His cognitive eyes are not two but three, i.e., He is the seer of all the three – past, present and future. He is Niilakańt́ha or blue-throated, i.e., the vast bluish sky is in the region of His throat. His initial extroversion or expansion from the subtle to the crude is the sky. The sky is of blue color and is capable of imbibing and carrying the sound. Hence Niilakańt́ha is a very suitable epithet for Brahma. His throat is not limited and demarcated like that of a unit. The entire creation is within Him. His depth is unfa- thomable and hence He is calm and tranquil. Reaching the original cause of all elements by virtue of their meditation and ideation the sages eventually attained the very Brahma

72 Himself. His place is above all extroversive forces. He is all-knowing, all-witnessing and self-effulgent.

Sa Brahmá sa Shivah sendrah so’kśarah paramah svarát́ Sa eva Viśńu sa práńah sa kálágnih sa candramá.

He is the Brahmá i.e., when He is engaged in the act of creation, He is known as Brahmá. As Shiva or Consciousness He is the witnessing Entity of the mundane affairs. He is the Indra of the universe, i.e., the greatest of all. He is effulgent in His own effulgence – Svarúpena rájata iti svarát́. For His all-pervasiveness He is known as Viśńu. He is known as life itself because the existence of all entities is ingrained in His Entity. It is because of His possessing the inexhaustible power of destruction that He is known as Kálágni or the fire of destruction. He is called the moon, for He is shining in the Hrdayákásha or the firma- ment of the heart as the great and noble Intellect. Briefly speaking, all that you can think of concerning the worlds are within Him. He is the seed of all the tanmátras, i.e., the generic essences of physical elements like sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The germ or sprout is verily His expression.

Sa eva sarvam yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyaḿ sanátanam Jinátvátam̭ ́ mrtyumatyeti náhya panthá vimuktave.

He is all that exists in this universe – all that exists in all objects. What ever has taken place, is taking place or will take place are all sustained in His existence, vibrated in His vibration, echoed and re-echoed in a thousand and one in his sound. His voice is the cosmic voice that establishes the beings of the mortal world immortality. His voice surges as the seed of the world, as the germ of the world, as the fruit bearing world-like tree. [It is] said in the Bible, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.”

The vedas also sing the many glories of this vast mystic syllable or sound, onm̭ ́kára. The all merciful God has been teaching the fundamental of all learnings through the medium of this onm̭ ́kára. A person transcends death as well as all cares and woes for all eternity by the supreme being. There are two ways in which this can be achieved – through thought and through meditation of God at every step of his evolutional sport.

All are false, only Krśńa thrills Pray, O mortals, Death at your heels. post-Bhádra Púrńimá 1955 DMC

Footnotes

(1) Ráhu being the head itself. –Trans.

(2) Of the countless number of veins or tubular organs of the human body, thirty-three are most important. The controlling entities of these thirty-three veins or tubes are called thirty-three gods, vid, eleven rudras,

73 eight vasus, twelve ádityas, Indra and Prajápati. The chief manifestation of the Cosmic Force is called Indra, which controls the human body entirely.

(a) The eleven rudras: Ten organs (sensory and motor) and the mind. “Rudra” means that which makes one cry. At the time of death when all the organs merge into their corresponding counter-gods, the mind be- comes inactive and the human body becomes still and immobile. Due to this near and dear ones of the dead person cry piteously. These eleven gods make the human cry, and hence they are called rudras.

(b) The eight vasus: Vasu means the habitat of the units; that is to say, those that are receptacles, shelters, or objects of the organs are called vasu. The sun, the moon, the stars, the sky, the ether, the air, the fire and the earth are the eight vasus.

(c) The twelve ádityas: Áditya means collector. Here it means that all those which takes or take away the consequences of deeds and life. Every moment the duration of life is being reduced, and the unit is being compelled to undergo the process of metamorphosis in order to enjoy or endure the consequences of his deeds. All these are taking place through the passage of time. Hence time is áditya, for it takes away the life and the consequential moments of deeds. The twelve months are the twelve ádityas.

(d) Indra: Indra means lightning, thunder or actional force.

(e) Prajápati: Prajápati means yajina̭ (sacrifice) or action.

Some are of the opinion that the veins of the human body are uncountable. Others say that they are a few crores, as if they had counted them all. Many people say that the number of veins totals thirty three crores and so the gods are also of the same number. Truly speaking it is due to ignorance and blind faith that the controlling nerves and veins of the human body have been converted into thirty-three crores of gods, having so many different names and forms. Shaḿkara said in reference to gods:

“Sarvadyotanátmaka akhańdacidaekarasah.”

Yájina̭ valkya said:

Dyotate kriidate yasmádudyate dyotate divi Tasmáddeva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh.

The gods are of two kinds: 1. Daehik devatá (the physical gods). The manifestation of soul is accomplished through the organs, and so the organs are called Daehik devatá and 2. Brahmik devatá (cosmic gods through whom the whole universe is manifested and controlled). Both are thirty-three in number. Each of the cosmic gods is the counter-god of the respective physical gods. These physical gods get merged into the counter- gods, which again merge in Brahma, and that is why the liberated sádhaka becomes Brahma Himself.

(3) Author’s footnote on the other two meanings of kula omitted here. –Trans.

(4) It is the Supreme Brahma Who is the creator of the universe and to create is also an act. Where there is action, there is sound. The prańava or onm̭ ́kára is indeed the sound of the creative thought-process of the Supreme Spirit and he who has merged himself in Brahma due to the absence of saḿskára or reactive mo- mentum, has attained a position even above Brahmá, Viśńu and Maheshvara.

Of the three letters (A, U, Ma) of the onm̭ ́kára, “A” (অ) is the seed of creations, “U” (উ) is the seed of stability or preservation and “Ma” (ম) is the seed of destruction. “A” being the creative alphabet, Brahma is called Brahmá (Brahma + a) in reference to creation. Suppose a man’s name is Rámbabu. His son will call him “father” and his pupil will call him “sir”; these are but the titles of Rámbabu applied to his specific occupa- tional conditions, Actually Rámbabu is one, Saguńa Brahma imbibes three chief acts, viz., creation, preser-

74 vation and destruction. These acts of creation, preservation and destruction are taking place in the psychic sphere of Brahma. With the termination of its thought process all the manifestations of these three kinds of acts will also cease. For instance, when we think of Bhagalpur, a clear picture of Bhagalpur gets projected on our mental plate and when we give up the thought of Bhagalpur, the picture of Bhagalpur gets lost in that very mental plate. If afterwards we cease to think at all, the mind also loses its existence. So Brahmá, Viśńu and Mahesh are the nomenclatures of the different psychic acts of Brahma Himself. When a sádhaka, having gone beyond the mental stratum, gets ensconced in the immutable, pure Brahmic region, he certainly enjoys greater importance or superiority over these three gods. That state is the characteristic state of the unit – the supreme state of Shiva or Cosmic Transcendentality. Asked to reveal his identity, Lord Saḿkarácaŕya said:

Manobuddhyahaḿkáro cittani náham Na ca shrotrajihave na ca ghráńa netre Návyoma bhúmirna tejo na váyuh Cidánandarúpo’shivo’haḿ shivo ham.

That is,

Not mind nor I-feeling nor ego am I Nor ear nor tongue nor nose nor eye Nor air nor earth nor sun nor sky The Soul Eternal am I, am I.

75 Yajina̭ and Karmaphala

Today’s subject is “Yajina̭ and the Fruit of Yajina”.̭ The word “yajina”̭ is formed by the root “yaj” and the suffix “na”. It means actions. Whatever a person does, we can call it a ya- jina.̭ What is the origin of actions? Where is the unmanifested potentiality of action? The doer of an act is the mind. Before doing an act a person thinks of it and the thought gets manifested as corresponding vibrations or sensations in his mind. Those mental vibrations are then transformed into the actions in the external world. That is, when after thinking about doing an act, the hands and feet begin to move, then the action being done is called an act or kriyá. Vibration exists in the mind or Sublime level and an act exists both in the crude and sublime levels, because all vibrations are not necessarily transformed into acts. Whenever there is an act, then the existence of a precedent thought is a certainty. That is why karma or yajina̭ is called psycho-physical.

Human beings cannot exist even for a moment without doing an act. Salvation means the eternal emancipation from this very karma or yajina.̭ Ordinarily yajina̭ is of four kinds: Bhúta Yajina,̭ Nr Yajina,̭ Pitr Yajina̭ and Adhyátma Yajina.̭ Of these four yajinas,̭ the first three, namely Bhúta, Nr, and Pitr Yajinas,̭ are psycho-physical, that is, both mental and physical, but Adhyátma Yajina̭ is one hundred percent internal. The origin of Bhúta, Nr and Pitr Yajina̭ is in mental vibrations and they take shape in the physical world. The actual origin of karma, however, is in the arena of the mind. Suppose I donated ten rupees to a particular person. This is called Nr Yajina.̭ In the first instance I gave the donation mentally, and when this mental donation took the shape of a physical act, then I practically made the donation. As soon as the thought of giving the donation occurs in the mind, the physi- cal act of donating flashes before the mind, that is, the act actually originated in the men- tal domain. Adhyátma Yajina,̭ on the other hand, originates in the domain of the soul and terminates in the soul.

1. Bhúta Yajina:̭ Bhúta Yajina̭ means services rendered to any created entity of the mani- fested world. For example, watering trees, serving cattle, undertaking scientific explora- tions and doing anything for the sake of welfare. In Sanskrit, bhúta means that which has been created. It does not mean ghost or spirit. The Sanskrit synonym of the English words ghost and spirit is “preta”.

2. Nr Yajina:̭ Nr Yajina̭ is action for human welfare. In fact Nr Yajina̭ is a part of Bhúta Ya- jina̭ because human beings are also created beings, I will explain Nr Yajina̭ later on.

3. Pitr Yajina:̭ Pitr Yajina̭ means remembering the ancestors and the sages. As long as a per- son possesses the physical body, he remains indebted to his ancestors. Those who are ca- pable of working for their own emancipation, as well as of the society by virtue of the knowledge acquired through the austerities practiced by the sages, are indebted to the sages. Sages are those who are helping and who have helped human society in numerous ways, such as the invention of new subjects. You enjoy the fruits of the inventor of railway

76 engines. Is it not a fact that present intellectual currents originated from the fountain of their wisdom? Many people say that science is detrimental to civilization and an impedi- ment to civilization, that the old world was indeed good. They forget that science also ex- isted in the old world and, although it was very undeveloped, the people had adopted it according to their standard of wisdom and knowledge. We are progressing on the road constructed by them. We proceed and extend these roads by cutting down the jungles and the hills. Their bullock carts have given us the incentive for our railways and cars. We have converted the yachts constructed by them into submarines. That is why I say that there is no fault in the development of science. Time is also not to blame. The fault rests with us. Science does not tell us to use nuclear energy in destructive ways. To do so is to use sci- ence to establish our animality. Those who have invented destructive weapons with the help of science are not sages, because their sádhaná does not contribute to the welfare of humanity. On the other hand, those sages who have looked to the well-being of humanity certainly deserve our revered memory. To pay homage to them is Pitr Yajina.̭

4. Adhyátma Yajina:̭ I have already said that Adhyátma Yajina̭ is one hundred percent in- ternal. The impetus for Adhyátma Yajina̭ comes from the soul and this impetus becomes operative in the mental province. The mind performs the sádhaná and the Karma also ter- minates in the province of the soul. That is, the ultimate goal of mental sádhaná lies in the province of the soul. Adhyátma Yajina̭ is a liberating sádhaná and the remaining three, Bhúta, Nr and Pitr yajinas̭ are both liberating and subjugating (Nivrtti Pravrtti).

Nr Yajina̭ is of four kinds: (a) Shúdrocita, (b) Vaeshyocita, (c) Kśatriyocita and (d) Viprocita. To serve the world by the physical body, to make others happy by one’s own sacrifice, or to alleviate the afflictions of others, for example by example by nursing the patients, comes within the scope of Shúdrocita sevá.

The services rendered by supplying food, money, etc. are termed Vaeshyocita sevá. Pro- tecting others, even by risking one’s life is Kśatriyocita sevá. Viprocita sevá is to give ex- pression of Adhyátma Yajina̭ by imparting the spiritual knowledge you have gained. Instill in others the earnest desire to follow the path of virtue – only then will you justify your existence as a social creature.

Shúdrocita sevá is the backbone of society. Those who undervalue Shúdrocita sevá cannot render Vaeshyocita sevá. In the same way, one has to become a Shúdra, in order to be eli- gible for rendering Vaeshyocita sevá. Exactly in the same way, one has to become a shúdra, a vaeshya and a kśatriya in order to be eligible to render Viprocita Sevá. Hence only those who possess these four qualities are vipras.

Although the excellence of all the different services is equal, Viprocita sevá is particularly glorious because it is directly related to Adhyátma Yajina.̭ But it must be remembered that the value of a particular service depends on time, place and circumstances. Suppose a wayfarer is in distress in a lonely place and is about to die. In this situation Viprocita ser- mons are entirely useless. While Shúdrocita sevá, i.e. nursing will be of great value. What will you do for a man who is dying of starvation? Will you nurse or preach sermons? Food must be arranged for him. In this circumstance Vaeshyocita sevá is of great value. In an-

77 other situation, some men are attacking a helpless person. In this case neither sermons nor nursing is needed, nor is food to be offered; there you will have to render Kśatriyocita service. In this situation, Kśatriyocita sevá is of greater value and other services are entirely meaningless.

Shúdrocita service is meaningless to a drunkard, so is Vaeshyocita, because giving money to him gives impetus to the addiction to drinking and does not encourage him or her to give it up, If you give the drunkard a beating then he or she will leave the place and go elsewhere to get a drink. Therefore, a drunkard has to be treated firmly with Kśatriyocita sevá and with Viprocita sermons. They must be emancipated from this bad habit by good counsel. The problem can not be solved just by simply inflicting punishment or enacting laws to close the liquor shop. In such circumstances the drunkard will seek to satisfy his or her bad habit in secrecy and consequently the whole society is affected. Thus we see that all the four types of services are important in particular circumstances. Still the effect of Viprocita sevá is stable whereas the effects of other types of service is not.

At the time of rendering service, you should feel that object of service is Náráyańa or God and that you are a spiritual aspirant. With such feelings there is no room for conceit. Con- ceit causes the fall of human beings. To get rid of conceit we will have to regard the object of our service as Náráyańa.

When you render service to anyone you must mentally address them with sincere devo- tion. “O Lord, O Náráyańa! Oblige me by accepting my services. You are merciful to me, and for this reason you have appeared before me as a living being to offer this very pre- cious opportunity of rendering service to You.” By maintaining such sentiments, conceit will not arise in you, nor will you be bound by the reactions of your actions. The principal cause for bondage to the fruits of actions is conceit or the yearning for fame. Suppose a certain man donates one thousand rupees to a particular institution. The next day he looks anxiously for his name in the newspaper. If his name does not appear in the paper, then with an air of conceit he brags amongst his kith and kin. “I have donated a thousand ru- pees, but I do not desire recognition and therefore I have not published my name in the paper.” The desire for fame exists in a concealed form in that man’s mind. Clearly, he did not make the donation with the spirit of service. However, when you perform acts with the ideation that the person served is Náráyańa, there is no possibility of arrogance or the de- sire for fame growing in your mind. Then you will realize that through the grace of Náráyańa you have been given the opportunity of serving Náráyańa. Our hands and feet are not ours, they are His, and by serving Himself with those hands and feet, He sports with Himself. Such an action is an action without attachment. Only in this way can one attain salvation from the bondage of Karma. You must feel that the person served is Brahma. The person served is a finite manifestation of Him. Never, even by mistake, take the object as a human being. A devotee in ecstasy says:

Yánhá̭ yánhá̭ netra paŕe Tánhá̭ tánhá̭ Hari sphúre.

78 Wherever I look Hari is visible. To attain this stage is the consummation of the aspirant’s efforts. By working with ideation of Brahma, you will gradually be able to perceive Brahma in everything. Why should ideation of Brahma or Hari be adopted? Before realiz- ing this you will have to understand what bháva signifies.

Shuddhasattvavisheśádvá premasuryáḿshu sámyabhak Rucibhishcittamásrńya krdasao bháva ucyate

–Shrii Rúpa Gosvámii

Bháva is where the mind is sanctified. All the ten directions are brightened by the rays of the sun of Love, and love is developed for the Supreme Brahma. The mind develops gen- tleness or tenderness. This is the aim behind treating the objects of service with ideation of Brahma.

The development of ideas in a person’s mind takes place in three ways: direct imposition, indirect imposition and spontaneous idea.

Direct imposition: Suppose you are playing the role of Sháhjáhán in a certain drama. Though your mother tongue is Sanskrit you speak in Persian. In that situation you have consciously thought, “I am Sháhjahán”, and having influenced the mind accordingly, you behave in that manner. Here your own personality is masked by that of Sháhjahán. This is known as direct imposition of ideas.

Indirect imposition: Here you do not knowingly assume any idea, but are influenced and hypnotized by another person. You act unconsciously. Your personal exclusiveness is drowned in the currents of another’s ideas. Under directions of a hypnotist, you will take sand for sugar and find it sweet as well.

Spontaneous idea: In this case, the ideas spring from within and only the true ideas get expressed. This occurs while you are in Iishvara Prańidhána. Initially the feeling of “I am” certainly exists in the aspirant’s mind. He or she feels that “I am practicing sádhaná for a realization of Brahma.”

In the method of sádhaná prescribed of Ánanda Márga, this feeling of “I am” having been developed and expressed spontaneously is then transformed into feelings of Brahma. This spontaneous idea is not easily understood by those who do not practice sádhaná. For this very reason, more often than not, non-aspirants are overtaken with false apprehensions since they do not know the transcendental currents of happiness in which the sádhaka is drifting. You don’t have to take the idea “I am Hanuman”, or “I am Rádhá”. Adhyátma Ya- jina̭ is performed entirely in the mental arena and there is no necessity of any experiment or imposition.

But in Bhúta, Nr or Pitr yajina,̭ experiment or imposition is necessary. One has to feel that the object of service is Náráyańa. If you do not adopt this feeling your efforts are in vain. It should be remembered that the reaction of an action is intimately connected with the ac- tion itself and when you perform an act you have got to bear its brunt.

79 The Giitá says: “Karmańyevádhikáraste má phaleśu kadácana.”

You are free to act, but you are bound to undergo the reaction. The moment you do an act you acquire the possibility of its reaction. Simultaneously with the performance of an act is being done, the seed for its reaction is also sown and its consequences have to be under- gone. There is no escape from it. It is not within your right to get rid of it or to escape its fruits and consequences. You have a right only to the action. Just by wishing you may or may not do an act.

What we call saḿskára is the reaction of Karma in potential forms, that is, it is the seed of the reaction to an action. The completion of a yajina̭ lies in its offerings. Karma and yajina̭ are the same and the accomplishment of the four varieties of Karma lies in offering one’s dearest thing, that is, in offering one’s own self. Ráma yajina̭ signifies offering or surren- dering unto Ráma. Viśnu yajina̭ has a similar significance. The word Vishnu means all- pervasive. For this reason the accomplishment of Viśnu yajina̭ lies in merging oneself into the Supreme Entity. Those who offer clarified butter in yajina̭ are misguided. They think that by offering ghee in the fire, it will rain. Still today people are following such blind su- perstition. Science tells us that when ghee is offered in the fire, the ghee is burnt and the unburnt carbon particles evaporate in the form of smoke. Everyone knows that ghee is ba- sically the chemical composition of hydrogen and carbon and that the water vapor gener- ated by burning ghee is negligible. Therefore, what will be the magnitude of the cloud formed by burning even one thousand tons of ghee? It is an utter misuse of ghee. The proper use of ghee is to feed it to the weak so that they may have a good health. If you want rain you should perform Bhúta Yajina.̭ Scientific research comes within the purview of Bhúta Yajina.̭ Manufacture artificial clouds and make use of them wherever rainfall is needed.

O sádhakas! Justify Ráma yajina̭ by offering yourselves unto Ráma or Paramátman. Ac- complish your Maháviśńu yajina̭ by merging the arrogance of your “I” feeling in the all- pervading Paramátman. For this you need not go begging from door to door. Adhyátma Ya- jina̭ is an internal affair and money has no use. Only in the case of Bhúta, Nr and Pitr ya- jina̭ are crude physical things needed and not in the case of Adhyátma Yajina.̭ By this the mind gradually obtains enlightenment and there is no need to entertain the idea of Ráma or any similar idea.

It is necessary to adopt a special sentiment in the case of Bhúta, Nr, and Pitr Yajina,̭ the sentiment that you will not be attached to Karma because the arrogance of your “I” feeling will not have any opportunity to arise. By Lord’s direction, you are serving Him, being a part and parcel of his manifestation. By maintaining such sentiments arrogance cannot arise. You know that the results of your actions will conformity to your intentions. If you submit the subjective feeling of your actions to the Lord, the reactions also appertain to the Lord. However, while taking this sentiment, one has to see that it is born out of love and not out of fear. Fear does not generate love. There is no service where love is absent and your Bhúta, Nr and Pitr yajina̭ become meaningless. The sentiment must be surcharged with prema or love. What is prema?

80 Samyaunmasrṋ ́ito svánto mamatvatishayáunkita Bháva sa eva sándrátma budhaeh prema nigadyate.

–Shrii Rúpa Goswamii

Love must be selfless. Suppose you rear hens, you feed them rice and of course you love them also. If takes one of your hens you may fall out with him and even come to come to blows with him. But is that selfless love? Love must be untarnished, free from all caprice. How will love be untarnished? While rendering services you should think that you are serving for his or her comfort and well-being. This will make your service selfless and your love untarnished. Services rendered with a selfless motive are not without blemishes. You feed the hens for your benefit. You are motivated by the thought that one day this hen will lay eggs and you will earn money by selling them.

Nija sukha lági ye kare piriiti, Se jáni’ garala kháe.

Inculcate divine sentiment by saturating love wherever you have to perform Bhúta Yajina,̭ Nr Yajina,̭ and Pitr Yajina.̭ It is meaningless to love out of fear. Where there is no love, there cannot be complete surrender of the self and the yajina̭ is fruitless.

Karma, tapa, yoga, jinána,̭ Vidhibhakti japa dhyána, Ihá haite mádhurya durlabh, Keval ye, rágmárge, Bhaje Krśńa anuráge, Tá’re Krśńa mádhurya sulabh.

–Caetanya Caritamrta

People’s life becomes mechanical, if they are overwhelmed with the sentiment that they must do such acts, must perform such yajina,̭ must rise in this manner and sit in this man- ner and get up in this manner and so on. Such a person is not happy and this type of ritu- alism cannot be called real Karma. To serve others at one’s sacrifice is called penance. In the absence of love any service or penance is for show and is therefore fruitless. All ritual- istic devotion, sham penance, counting beads etc. are meant only for public show and true love and the Supreme goal are lost from sight. Brahma cannot be attained through ac- tions, since the sweetness of joy is lacking in such ritualism. On the other hand the divine bliss is easily attainable to those who base their sádhaná on love.

One has to see appreciate how the consequences of actions are annihilated through serv- ice. Where there is the arrogance of “I” feeling, then the consequences exist with the ac- tions. Where the “I” is the doer then the same “I” is the receiver of the consequences. In detached actions the “I” is not the doer and is not therefore liable to reap the conse- quences. In an unattached action there is no bondage of the consequences because what- ever the person does is consigned to Brahma, and therefore, the consequences of the ac-

81 tions are also consigned to Brahma. In other words, both the actions and consequences appertain to Paramátman. You should regard yourself as an instrument of Náráyańa and go on doing your work in a detached manner. Where a person is suffering from pain, you may ask whether they are only reaping the consequences of their actions and whether in these circumstances it is proper for you to serve them. The answer is very simple. I should not even think that he or she is reaping the consequences of actions. My purpose is to decide the intention with which I will act. I will have to think that in the pursuit of a particular design, Paramátman is suffering distress and in this way, He is giving me an opportunity to render service. Out of His grace He is obliging me by accepting my services. Náráyańa’s designs are inscrutable, so you must look upon the distressed with divine sentiments.

Just as vibrations take the shape of actions, so too counter vibrations bear exact opposite consequences of these actions. The nature of consequences is shaped by the tune of the nature of the intentions to act or vibrations. Then in the physical world the consequences of such an action are treated according to the status of the doer, irrespective of the mag- nitude of the action and is in consonance with his or her mental endurance. If there be no pain from a cut in the hand, that is, if the mind does not feel the consequence, the action then is not punitive. For those free from a debased mind and accomplished in universality the question of unitary suffering of the consequences of actions does not arise, since such individual do not work with unit feelings.

Where action yoga, penance or knowledge is affected with feelings of distinctions, arro- gance is bound to come into play and individual distinctions are created. When an act is dedicated to Paramátman, its consequences are also dedicated to Him. The unit is neither the doer nor the bearer of the consequences. What is it to you then?

Occasionally, an affectatious vanity is seen in the aspirant which is not meant for his or her personal end, but rather for the sake of Paramátman. This is called sáttvika vanity. The vanity associated with selfless service is not derived from the mean unit “I” feeling, but from the feeling of Universal “I”. Rádhá says,

Bandhu tomári garave garavinii hám Rúpasii tomári rúpe.

“I pride in You. This beauty that Rádhá has belongs to You. It is your beauty which has given comeliness to Rádhá. Is it not that I receive the inspiration to act from you? You are the doer and You alone are the enjoyer.”

You should act precisely with this sentiment. The more a person works with feelings of detachment, the greater is his or her Godward speed and the more the “I” feeling is anni- hilated. The Unit “I” feeling will be completely annihilated by the time you are completely established in the divine feeling. Detached actions are the fight against the unit self and for the attainment of the Universal “I”. The Unit “I” will go on abating in proportion to the de- cline of arrogance. By the same proportion, the mind’s sphere will get enlightened by re- fulgence of the Universal Self. That is why the followers of Ánanda Márga must tread the path of action without detachment. Along with Adhyátma Yajina,̭ Bhúta, Nr, and Pitr yajina̭

82 also have to be performed and then the true sacrifice of the self in the fire of Brahma is ac- complished.

The feelings of “I” or self work just like a mirror. The original entity is Paramátman or Cos- mic Consciousness and its reflection in the mirror is the jiivátman or unit consciousness.

Yathá darpańabháva ábhásahánao Mukhaḿ vidyate kalpanáhiinamekam. Tathá dhiiviyoge nirábhásako yah Sah nityopalabdhi svarúpehamátma.

–Hastámalak

Where there is no mirror there cannot be any reflection. Where there is no mirror of the “I” feeling or mahattattva or buddhitattva, there is no jiivátman as the reflection. After an- nihilation of the ego, the condition in which one lives, is the initial form. He alone is the life of lives, the soul of souls, namely the Lord. Genuine spiritual practice is that which does away with the mirror of buddhitattva and enables jiivátman, in the shape of the re- flection to get absorbed in Paramátman – the original entity. For this the inevitable requi- site is detached action.

Yajina̭ is performed to achieve emancipation from the consequences of action and to an- nihilate the Unit “I”. The fourfold services enumerated under Nr Yajina̭ can be easily be performed by anyone. Every human being gets more or less opportunity for rendering services. If a poor man thinks that he cannot render vaeshyocita type of service because he is devoid of money he is wrong. The charity of a few paise of the poor has the same value as a thousand rupees from a millionaire. Indeed the charity of these few paise is greater. Lord Krśńa attached greater importance to a handfuls of grains from Vidura than to the sumptuous royal dishes of Duryodhana. Even so, everyone should render service to the world in accordance with their capacity and work for the welfare of the living beings to the best of their ability. Perform viprocita type of service by projecting your convictions to others as best as you can. Let every person perform the four kinds of service as much as possible. Adhyátma Yajina̭ is an internal yajina̭ and ultimately it terminates in Paramátman, the original self. Therefore, your sádhaná should be with a detached sentiment. All types of yajina̭ begin and proceed in an externalized manner, but ultimately they will reverse their course towards the inner self and will gratify your innermost entity on the jewelled throne attained by your birthright. Remember, no one yajina̭ is inferior to another.

As long as you exist, you have got to perform yajina.̭ The moment you cease from dis- charging duties, either due to incapacity or wrong choice you will fall into an abyss. You should not let this happen. It is your dharma to move from narrowness to vastness, from greatness to divinity. To allow yourself to fall into an abyss is against the characteristic of your existence. You long for eternal bliss and endeavour for eternal life. You are associated with that unending vitality in the blood circulation of your arteries and veins and in the rhythmic throbbing of your heart. You have been listening day and night the voice of eter- nal youth. Can you ever imagine remaining inert matter in an inactive state where there is

83 no yajina?̭ Even in the state of supreme realization you will be infused with boundless knowledge. O human beings! be established in the radiance of divinity and the splendour of valour and chivalry, because yours is the path of revolution. Your path is not the path of extra caution and scheduled movement. You are the traveller of a rugged path. You are travellers of an impregnable path. You have to march ahead proudly with the flag of Márga upright. You have no time to stagger or to look behind.

Mághii Púrńimá 1955 DMC

84 He is Everywhere

The shástras [scriptures] say:

Sarvatah páńipádantat sarvato’kśishiromukham; Sarvatah shrutimalloke sarvamávrtya tiśt́hati.

[His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists enveloping everything.]

The palms – páńi – of the Lord are everywhere – sarvatah. Whatever is offered to Him, good or bad, He receives. And whenever and wherever it is offered to Him, He receives it.

Scriptures say that the ordinary human beings of the world use their power of discrimina- tion before they decide upon what to receive and what not to receive when offered. They accept only that which they like and reject that which they do not like. Elevated beings – uttama puruśa – on the other hand, do not accept anything from anyone. But Parama Pu- ruśa is entirely different from these two groups. He makes no discrimination whatever and accepts all that is offered to Him by any of His children.

People normally offer sentient things to different deities – white flowers are generally of- fered to them. But to Shiva many offer even red flowers such as the java, or Chinese rose, which is a flower of támasika [static] colour.(1) This is because Lord Shiva, Parama Puruśa, has His palms ready to receive anything and everything. One may offer one’s reverence – shraddhá – or one’s abuse – hela. The Lord’s palms are ever-joined to receive it – Shraddhayá helaya vá [“With reverence or with indifference”].

Once Lord Buddha was camping in a mango orchard at Baishali. A large number of peo- ple used always to [come and] accept the path shown by the Lord. But a particular indi- vidual and his group were very much opposed to Lord Buddha. It so happened that the group, without the individual himself, came to the mango orchard where Lord Buddha was camping, and were influenced by the Lord and accepted Buddhism.

This news greatly agitated this man, and in anger he came to the orchard and started abusing Lord Buddha in all sorts of ways. Lord Buddha maintained his usual equipoise to- wards all this. One feels happy and encouraged in abusing someone only if he or she finds that person affected by the acts of abuse. This man found Lord Buddha undisturbed and was greatly disappointed, finding all his hard labour gone to waste. When he had done all the abusing [he could] for quite some time and his stock of bad words might have been coming to an end, the Lord urged the man to listen to him.

Lord Buddha asked the man, “Suppose you give something to somebody which he ac- cepts; then the ownership of the thing is transferred to the receiver, isn’t it?” The man agreed. The Lord continued, “And if the man rejects the offering, will not the thing be re-

85 turned to its owner?” The man again agreed. Lord Buddha concluded, “All the words given by you have not been accepted by me!”

But the Lord [Parama Puruśa] has His palms ever ready to accept all that is offered by His children anywhere in the world. The palms of human beings are so small – they can re- ceive and contain so little. Their palms simply cannot receive more than this [indicates]. But the palms of the Lord are large enough to receive any quantity from all His children at the same time.

The Lord’s feet (pada) are also everywhere. There is no place which is inaccessible to Him. If a person is at a particular place and has to move to some other place, he or she will have to travel. But the Lord is everywhere, and He in reality does not have to move. In other words, He has so many feet that He is able to reach any place and be available at all places at all times. Elsewhere, scriptures say:

Tadejati tannaejati taddúre tadvantike Tadantarasya sarvasya tadu sarvasyásya váhyatah.

[The Supreme Entity moves; the Supreme Entity is unmoving. The Supreme Entity is far, far away; no, the Supreme Entity is the nearest entity. He is the inside of everything; He is also the outside of everything.]

None of His children are ever alone. The Lord is ever with them at all moments.

Sarvato’kśi – “the Lord has His eyes – akśi – everywhere also.” The word akśa has two let- ters, a and kśa. From a to kśa, in the Nagari system of letters, there are fifty letters. These letters are the acoustic roots of the fifty propensities through which human beings func- tion. The different sounds are only a mixture and combination in varying degrees of these acoustic vibrations. So in other words, akśa represents the whole set of the vibrations; that is, the creation. Since we see this creation with our eyes, the eye in Sanskrit is called akśi. The pronunciation of this word as per the Tantric and the [Yajurvedic] system would be akkhi.

The Lord’s eyes are everywhere. His eyes are even in a closed room where one may con- sider himself or herself alone. The story goes that once Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa gave a pigeon to Swami Vivekananda asking him to kill the bird in a place where he was alone. At the end of the day Swami Vivekananda returned along with the living pigeon and re- ported to Sri Ramakrishna that he could not find himself alone anywhere because wher- ever he went he found a pair of eyes – the Lord’s – watching him.(2)

19 December 1971 morning, Patna

Footnotes

(1) It is reddish-black. –Eds.

86 (2) The typed notes end here at the end of a page. (i.e., at a point where the author has not yet explained the entire shloka.) –Eds.

87 The Divine Will

Where mind is operative in a structure, that structure is controlled by the mind; but struc- tures in which mind is not expressed are controlled and operated by the mind of the Su- preme Being. A man, for instance, moves from this place to that place by his mind; but the wind blows, and water flows according to the dictates of the Cosmic Mind. The move- ments controlled by the Supreme Being are all from inanimate to animate, and from crude to subtle. In other words, they are movements towards God. We may say that the Supreme Being is drawing everything unto Himself.

Human beings are moved and guided by their own unit minds, but even here where mat- ters of collective importance are concerned, they are not absolutely free – there the Mac- rocosm asserts Its mind.

When a man moves in a line opposite the pull of the Supreme Being, this is movement towards degradation. Movement is a must, whether it is towards progress or degradation – whether towards hell or superman. Those animals and inanimate objects whose minds are not developed have no chance of being degraded since they have no choice of movement except in the direction of the Supreme. But man has the freedom of choice between pro- gress and degradation.

If only the movement according to the will of the Supreme Being is movement towards progress, the question arises how to ascertain the desire of God. Man’s small mind, en- closed in a box of bones, is incapable of knowing the secrets of the Cosmic Mind. It is dif- ficult to know the unexpressed desire of the Supreme Self. But wherever there is difficulty, the solution lies nearby. Every disease has a curative herb near the source of the disease itself.

Suppose you have to ascertain what Mr. X would like to eat – rasagollas or gulabjamun [two types of Indian sweets]. How would you know this? Being a gentleman he will not express his desire. And God is also a gentleman – His desires are not all on the surface. A villager may blurt out his desires, but a refined man will not – and God is refined.

But there is one way out. Start loving Mr. X and your minds will meet and you will know his desires. This is the path followed by the devotees. They love God and know His mind; they tune their minds in the same wave-length and direction.

The difference between a sádhaka and a philosopher is this: the sádhaka learns philosophy for the sake of convincing others, not for himself. He is content to love God.

Imagine a devotee and a philosopher being in a mango grove. The philosopher will start counting the trees, their branches, and the mangoes in the orchard. While he is thus wasting his time, the devotee is enjoying the sweet juice of the mangoes. The devotee says, “God is mine – I shall love Him and understand His will and act accordingly.”

88 Those who do not love God are also not completely free to act. They have to follow the Divine Will perforce. Some follow Him out of love, others out of fear. There is some ele- ment of fear in love also. My slightest mistake may pain the person I love, and hence this fear keeps me straight on the path of love. Man alone has the chance to follow God with love; other beings have to do so compulsorily.

Those who are afraid of God are not sádhakas. All want to avoid fear. God is fear to fear. All are afraid of the terrible – and God is a terror to the terrible. Thus being our enemy’s enemy, God is our best friend.

Movement is life. God is the movement of the innermost vital energy [prána]. If God re- moves himself, one will no longer exist.

God is one who purifies the purification. He is the Purity of the pure. People consider a dip in the Ganges as a purifying act. If this were true, the fish and animals who live in the Ganges would be the purest of beings, since they live 24 hours a day in the Ganges!

God lives in every heart, and He is the Purifier of purity. So all that you have to do to be pure is to search your heart, contact the Supreme Being there and be pure. Why need you go outside for purification?

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Power without devotion is a force leading to degradation. You should not forget that God is the source of all ultimate power. He can snatch your power from you in a minute. This body of yours wherein you are a tenant belongs to the Supreme Law. He can evict you in a moment, without prior notice.

89 You Live According to God’s Desire

Let the word “desideratum” be used in the singular number. We will not use the word “de- siderata”, the plural of “desideratum”, for humans have only one goal, not many.(1)

You have just said, Bábá kii jaya!(2) But I say, “Victory unto you!” As human beings, as spiritualists, as spiritual missionaries, when you will be victorious, you will be happy – but happier will I be, many times more.

Whatever object or idea there is in this relative world, there is a reason behind it. The rea- son may be known to you or may not be known to you, but there is a reason. When you get quite tired of worldly activities and sit in a lonely place, you think, “Why have I come into this world?” You might not know the reason, but He, the one who has manifested His liilá [play] everywhere, knows the reason. You might consider yourself inferior, but you are not so to Him.

Take, for example, your body, your mind, and the innumerable tiny cells of your body. Each cell gives rise to a particular thought. Such specialities there are in the human struc- ture! The Creator has created this body carefully, with the utmost care; He even knows where a particular spot in your nerve is. You are not small. A doll may consider itself small, and it may be considered small by some, but the creator of the doll would never consider his creation valueless.

All that comes within the scope of relativity has a reason behind its existence. Even the existence of an eighty-year-old man or woman has a reason behind it. Parama Puruśa has kept you in the world; there is definitely a reason behind it. Never let inferiority arise in you. You are the children of Parama Puruśa – how can you be inferior? If someone says that you are low, or valueless, that will be absolutely wrong. Parama Puruśa, your Creator, is a great entity. How can He create anything inferior?

Many say that nature creates. But this is wrong. What can nature create? The style, the system in which Prakrti [the Operative Principle] operates is known as nature. There is a style of singing, of dancing; there is a style for doing each and every action. The style of the work of the Operative Principle is known as nature. How can the style create? Only the One whose style it is can create. Nature can do nothing. The Operative Principle oper- ates according to the desire of Parama Puruśa. If Parama Puruśa did not permit it, then Prakrti would be unable to create. Ábrahmastamba – “Even a blade of grass would not move. Right from Brahmá to a blade of grass, it is all His desire.”

Brahmá means the stage of Saguńa Brahma when It is creating the universe. (Brahma + a equals Brahmá. A is the acoustic root of creation.) Brahmá, Viśńu, Maheshvara – these are not separate entities, they are all different functional forms of the same entity. A gentleman is a sweet-shop owner, a traveller and a man with a [cricket] bat – he is the same gentle- man at different stages. Even Brahmá would be unable to create if He [Parama Puruśa] would not want. And the little blade of grass too would not move.

90 So forget the talk about nature. To talk of nature is to talk of a philosophy of [the time] when humans worshipped stones, trees, etc.

Without His desire, nothing will happen. Say you are speaking against Parama Puruśa in a meeting. You might want to say, “I challenge Parama Puruśa.” But after only having spoken the word “challenge” you might find that your raised fist remains raised and your voice is choked. Nothing can happen without His desire.

You have come according to His wish, and by no one else’s. Leave everything to Him. An astrologer predicts your death on a particular day, and advises you to wear lockets to counteract the effects of stars and planets. But doesn’t the astrologer himself die?

You will live according to His desire; you will die, too, according to His desire. Yesterday I told you to take the name of one only. Today I tell you to depend on one only, not on two. Death will not be painful for you, because in death too you attain Him. Merge with Him with all your love.

He has given you your organs. Utilize them for Him. With your voice sing His name, His praise, His kiirtana. With your mind think of Him.

One who does not do this wastes one’s life. And where people have only human frame but not human mind, tell them this message. Go to village after village, town after town. This is your duty.

25 May 1971 morning, Ranchi

Footnotes

(1) The previous day the author had given the discourse “Desideratum of Human Life” (Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 19). –Eds.

(2) “Victory unto Bábá!” “Bábá” was the affectionate name used for the author by the author’s disciples. –Eds.

91 Dagdhabiija

Yávanna kśiiyate karma shubhaincáshubhamev̭ a ca; Távanna jáyate mokśa nrńáḿ kalpashataerapi. Yathá laohamayaerpáshaeh páshaeh svarńamayaerapi; Tathá baddho bhavet jiivo karmábhiishcáshubhaehshubhaeh.

–Tantra

[Unless one’s good or bad saḿskáras (mental reactive momenta) become completely ex- hausted, one cannot attain mokśa (non-qualified liberation) even in crores of kalpas (ae- ons). Just as chains, whether of iron or gold, are still chains, so people bound by saḿskáras, whether good or bad, are nevertheless bound.]

Is the misery less even if one is bound with chains made of gold? No, bondage is bondage, be [the chains] made of gold or iron. The bondage of satkarma [good actions] is that of gold, and that of asatkarma [bad actions], iron. Either of them is to be broken off. One has to refrain from bad actions so that the chains of iron might not be forged; and good actions are to be effected, but what one has to do is to offer the chains made of gold at the feet of Paramátmá: “I do not desire the fruits of my good actions, O Lord! I offer them to Thee.”

As long as the physical body exists, some actions are bound to be performed. No one can help doing actions. [Respiration] is itself an action. Once I said that even if one does not desire to do any action and sleeps, then that sleep, too, is an action. Actions must be per- formed – not bad actions, but good ones, which too are to be offered to Him.

Nábhuktaḿ kśiiyate karma kalpakot́ishataerapi; Avashyameva bhoktavyaḿ krtaḿ karma shubháshubham.

–Tantra

[Even after crores of kalpas, saḿskáras do not become exhausted. The requitals of all ac- tions, good or bad, must be undergone: there is no exception.]

“Even after crores of kalpas [aeons] the reactions of actions are not exhausted. This contin- ues to be so as long as the reactions have not been experienced.” How will the reactions of the actions be exhausted? Karmabhogena kśiiyate – “When the reactions are experi- enced, then only are they exhausted.” Avashyameva bhoktavyam ́ krtam ́ karmashubhá shubham – “one has performed good actions, so their fruits are to be enjoyed; so also is it with bad actions.” Hence one has to be cautious while performing actions. After that, re- pentance will fetch no benefit.

Avashyameva bhoktavyaḿ krtam ́ karmashubhá shubham. Now the question arises whether the reactions will be just [equal] to the actions, or less, or more. Equal and opposite reac- tion is [the rule], but then, whether the enjoyment of the reaction of actions is purely psy-

92 chic or physico-psychic is to be seen. Where the action is purely mental, the reaction will be just [equal] to that. But if the action is physico-psychic, the question is, what will be the reaction? Still one thing is there, that if the mind is not affected by the physico-psychic ac- tion, nothing happens.(1) But [usually] when the reaction is physico-psychic, it has more effect than the action performed.

If it is purely psychic, the reaction will be just equal to it. [But] the reaction of the physico- psychic action does not affect the mind cent per cent. A person enjoys [psychic] reactions just [equal] to the actions performed. If there be some quantity of the reaction of physico- psychic action [that affects the body], in that case, the reaction will be much more than the action performed. The mind will be affected just according to the psychic action – that is the case with psychic actions. [But] if the action is physico-psychic, some of the reac- tions [affect] the mind, some [do] not. That which affects the mind is a psychic reaction, that which does not is physical. Among these reactions, the one that is in the pure physical sphere does not affect the mind. The pure psychic coupled with the [physical] of a physico-psychic reaction add up to produce a greater reaction. So the quantity of reaction in case of a physico-psychic action becomes much greater. Hence one should be careful.

There are so many grades of sádhaka [spiritual practitioner]. Some say, “O Paramátmá, please get my saḿskáras exhausted as soon as possible. Give to me whatever is there.” [But] some say, “I am ready to bear the fruits of my own [actions] and I am also ready to bear the saḿskáras of others.” There are varieties of feeling. Some want to carry the bur- dens of others so that others might not be in trouble. Sádhakas are at different stages, and their feelings are just according to their stages. While doing sádhaná, a sádhaka reaches a stage where púrńa bhakti [cent per cent devotion] is aroused for Paramátmá. Then one re- mains unassailed even if a cyclone of misery attacks him or her. One feels maximum tor- ture in the mind, but he or she little cares for it, taking it to be the benediction of Paramátmá Himself. Torture is there but he or she derives bliss from it. The sádhaka of that stage is called dagdhabiija [burnt seed]. A dagdhabiija comes within the range of psychic directly.

Biija means “seed”. Wherever a seed is sown, it [sprouts into] a plant; but where the seed is burnt, a plant is not produced. A sádhaka becomes dagdhabiija when he or she has no more pain or pleasure of his or her own. One who has surrendered in toto and has not kept in hand even a single paisa of it, is alone dagdhabiija. All carry their own burdens, but if a dagdhabiija sádhaka so desires, he or she can carry the burdens of others also. And those who want to carry the burden of others do lessen the burden of Paramátmá indi- rectly. You should remember this.

Do not remain worried about your individual problems at all. Be prepared to carry your own burden and be prepared also to carry the burdens of others. Then alone are you brave. Be dagdhabiija. Everyone has his or her own individual problems. Do not try to pass them on to others. On the contrary, bear the burdens of others. No one is your en- emy. Be ready to bear the burdens of others.

June 1967, Delhi

93 Footnotes

(1) If the doer of the action does not think of himself/herself as the doer, but thinks of the Supreme as the doer, the mind is not affected. –Eds.

94 Parama Puruśa

Today’s subject of discourse is “Parama Puruśa.”

What is Puruśa? Puruśa means “Pure shete yah sah Puruśah” or “Purasi shete yah sah Pu- ruśah”. The Sanskrit word pura means settlement or township (nagara). Therefore the entity which lies covert in each and every microcosmic structure is called Puruśa. It means that this quiescent entity or Puruśa lies hidden in each and every microcosm but doesn’t per- form any action.

In the definition “Purasi shete yah sah Puruśah”, Purasi means “in front of” or “before.” As in the sentence Purasi hitaḿ karoti ya sah Purohitah, which means Purohita is one who moves in front of you to promote your welfare. One special attribute of Puruśa is that He always moves ahead of the microcosms. Whatever may be the speed of the microcosms, Puruśa is faster and so He is always ahead of them.

Puruśah akartá phalasákśiibhútah Bhávakendrasthitah guńayantrakashca.

“Puruśah akarta”. The word akartá has been used in connection with Parama Puruśa. Why akartá? When in a solid body a force operates in that special state the force is termed as “energy”. Action, or something that involves a changing of place, is originated by energy. Action, either physical or mental, is effected only because of the vitality in your body. During the state of ill health you will find that you cannot think for a long duration. It is only because of the lack of vitality. Doership is the Operative Principle, not Puruśa’s. Therefore, “Puruśah akartá”.

“Phalasákśiibhútah”. Now let us see what is Phalasákśiibhútah. Puruśa is acquainted with all that is done by an entity. Whatever the unit mind performs is known to unit conscious- ness at once i.e. whatever your mind does is known to you’re átmá at once. Today’s dis- course however is about Parama Puruśa, not about jiivátmá or jiivapuruśa. External activity is the actual expression of whatever you think on your psychic plane. So, whatever your mind is acquainted with, is done by your mind and hence your Átmá comes to know it. To what extent does your Átmá maintain its witnessing capability? Unit consciousness is kar- maphala bhoktá, i.e. whatever action – vice or virtue, is performed by your mind has its impression on jiivátmá and the impression of the actions on jiivátmá is at once conveyed to Paramátmá.

Whatever action the Cosmic Mind does, that is not really action because everything is in- ternal. But whatever the unit mind performs is both internal as well as external. For in- stance, if a desire for stealing is aroused in one’s mind, that can be internal when you don’t translate the same into action i.e. mental stealing can have external expression or it may remain in the psychic plane itself. But whatever the Cosmic Mind does is all internal, totally within His mental arena, there is nothing external for Him – all is within Him. Whatever He does, He does within Himself i.e. without your knowledge. For example He

95 steals away your mind, your Átmá. One fine morning you will find that you have lost your mind. Your mind does not exist as He has stolen it away and just like a lunatic you begin dancing. How He has managed to steal it away is a mystery to you. Therefore He does everything inside Himself – everything is within, nothing without. Suppose your boss ar- rives, your superior arrives – you will welcome him and say, “Please come, take your seat and have something to eat.” You flatter him to the extent you know, but you say inside yourself, “What a trouble has arrived. When will he go?” This is not known to your boss. Hence a couple of “I’s” are within you – one performs action in the external world and the other is within with which you alone are well acquainted but others are not.

Sádhaná, therefore, is to unify the two into one – the internal “I” and the external “I”. Two- ness in one single personality is a disease. The more the gap between these two “I’s”, the more you will undergo psychic torment. You must remember that in this second half of the 20th century people are feeling much gap in between their internal “I” and external “I”. Because of the trouble in adjusting these two “I’s” there is an increase in mental illnesses. This is the greatest disease in the 20th century. As regards Parama Puruśa there is no dou- ble personality. Everything is internal. The entire world is internal for Him. That which is external world for you is internal for Him. Whatever you think or do in your mind is also internal for Him. He enters your internal world, your mind and you don’t know that He has entered i.e., He will steal away your mind and you will not know. A person too wants that Paramátmá should steal away his mind. Therefore I remember to have told you that one of His names is Mákhanacora (Butter thief). Generally one says to God to come to him but actually God is already with him – He is simply unable to see Him. A sádhaka may think with his conscious mind that when God appears before him, he will surrender com- pletely to Him. In the most interior corner of his mind, however he feels that when God appears before him, he will certainly surrender to Him, but he will also seek God’s help for relieving the asthma from which he has been suffering badly. God, who is in the most interior corner of his mind, even knows this. Then He will not hear anything.

He will steal away the Átman of a person and his mind will not know it, Therefore, He is named Mákhanacora. As the cream is the essence of milk so is the Átman of the body. He steals away the Átman, so He is Mákhanacora.

Why Puruśa is akartá? Action results when in the physical body vital force operates. Energy will not work away from material structure. It will always work from within. For jiiva there is action, and also for Prakrti. Prakrti gets the action done, but Parama Puruśa is actionless.

“Phalasákśiibhútah”. Whenever a person performs some action there is an accompanying reaction. Action means creation of reaction also. For instance, if you throw a stone in a haphazard way, that will certainly have a result. Where there is action there is reaction. Both action and reaction take place in His Cosmic Body (Bhúmá Shariira). He immediately knows about the action performed by a person and its reaction too. But Parama Puruśa is not the enjoyer of the reactions.

Dvá suparńá sayujá sakháyá samánaḿ vrkśaḿse parisasvajáte. Tayoranyah pippalaḿ svádvattyanashnannanyo bhiicákashiiti.

96 Two birds with beautiful plumage are seated on the same tree. One of them is tasting the sweet fruits of the tree, whereas the other is just looking on. The bird tasting the fruits is likened to jiivátman or unit consciousness. The bird which looks on without tasting the fruits, but which watches the other bird eating the fruits, is likened to Paramátman, the Su- preme Consciousness. The tree, i.e., the body of a human being, has both jiivátman, which is karmopahata or that which receives the impression of all that the person does, and it also has Paramátma, who is the witnessing entity of jiivátman. Through Prakrti, the inher- ent energy of Puruśa, a human being performs actions and reaps their consequences. This “natural” set up has been arranged by Parama Puruśa. He makes the arrangements for ac- tions and reactions to occur, therefore He is phalasákśiibhúta.

They say that wherever there is action there is equal and opposite reaction. But there is one thing to be borne in mind here. Where there is action, the equal and opposite reaction takes place only when personal, temporal and spatial factors remain unchanged. But you know that personal, temporal and spatial factors do not remain unchanged. Just in the next moment time-factor is changed. If it is an inanimate object there is entitative change therein. If there is an animate object, the person remains unchanged but the mentality changes. Therefore, we do not find the exactly equal and opposite reaction of the action done. Generally the reaction is enhanced and is not lessened because the gap in inter- ectoplasmic stuff is increased for the reaction of an action done. For instance, you took a loan of 1,000 rupees. When you return the amount you will have to pay the interest also. You will pay back Rs. 1020 or 1030. Like-wise, if you have committed some sin you will be punished a little more than the reaction of the sin committed. Had the time, space and person remain unchanged the reaction would also have been the same. So get it in mind, while doing some thing immoral be prepared to pay the interest too. It is better not to take a loan, then alone you will not have to pay the interest.

“Bhavakendra.” This external world, this expressed world, which you see is full of action, full of rhythms. This actional world is both extroversial and introversial for you. There is a world inside your mind. That is your internal world, and the world which you see without is the extroversial world. Hence this internal world for you is ideational and the external world, actional. But for Parama Puruśa there is nothing like the extroversial world, all is introversial, and hence for Him this world is ideational or His thought projection, i.e., this world is saḿkalpita for Him. Suppose you imagine Jodhpur(1) in your mind. This is idea- tional. But when you see outside, you find that it is Jaipur(2), not Jodhpur. Then you realize that Jodhpur of your mind is ideational and Jaipur is actual. The same thing occurs in dream. While you dream you think it to be a fact because the external world does not exist there. For Parama Puruśa there is nothing like the extroversial world; just as for you when the internal world, which you take to be true in dream, is actually not there. For Him, the world exists in His ideation i.e., nothing is extroversial, rather all is introversial. And His imagination is called saḿkalpa. Hence this world is a saḿkalpita world for Him. There is a difference between kalpatia and saḿkalpana. Whatever you do in kalpana is transitory and the jiiva concerned is only its enjoyer and none else.

97 God is a master magician who, by His magic spell, has created all and has hidden Himself inside His creation. If at all you want to know the creation, the trick of the magician, that can only be done when you join Him and His party.

This world is ideational for Him and this ideational cosmos has Him in its centre. He is in the centre of this ideational cosmos. He has to control it. Have you ever seen a fisherman spreading his fishing net in a river or a tank? The fisherman does so and he has to manage the net also. Likewise, He has made the ideational world which He alone has to manage and control. He controls the idea, therefore, in common parlance, He is taken as inactive. If, however, people steal, rob and are corrupt, will Paramátmá say that He is akartá and hence He has got nothing to do with them? No, He controls them indirectly through the Guńas. Actually He controls the Guńas which do the actions. Really it is Parama Prakrti that operates. For instance, the commander orders the soldiers to catch so and so. Who catches? It is the soldiers, the power of the soldiers. People see that the soldier has caught the offender, but the soldier does so only with the direction of his commander. Hence Parama Puruśa is just like the commander and Parama Prakrti just like the soldier. This control over bliáva kendra is saḿkalpita niyantrańa, and He who controls it is named Krśńa. Therefore, there is another name of Parama Puruśa i.e. Krśńa. Krsna means the at- tractor of this ideational world. This ideational world is made of ectoplasmic stuff or by ectoplasmic structure. For Parama Puruśa, the quinquelemental world is just the crudified form of His ectoplasm. His mental stuff is subtler than jiivas, and therefore contains speed (gati), light (dyuti) and rhythm (chanda), and controls them. The mental stuff of Parama Puruśa with which the world has been created is something blissful (svarasa). This very object is named Paramarasa. The unit mind does all with its mental stuff. Sometimes it cre- ates money in the mind and seeing the mental bank balance it feels happy. Sometimes it makes itself a Prime Minister and feels happy, and sometimes it feels enemies are mentally beaten and it is overjoyed. All these are done only with an aim to satisfy its mental hunger, to quench its mental thirst. Ultimately we see that an individual’s mental stuff is trans- formed into worldly objects. For the unit mind, whatever it makes within itself is vaesay- ika. It is all directed for personal pleasure, for material pleasure. The flow of the ectoplas- mic stuff of the jiiva is called visayarasa and the flow of Cosmic Mind is Paramarasa. When, even for once, the unit mind happens to come in contact with Paramarasa, the material pleasure (visayrasa) seems dry and insipid. Just as one eating vegetables without salt, feels they are tasteless. But material objects are needed to maintain the physical exis- tence. The wise make the flow of visayarasa parallel to the flow of Paramarasa. They con- vert the waves of visayarasa into the waves of Paramarasa. This alone is a safe way.

Krśńa is the nucleus of the Paramarasa of Bháva Samudra and the unit minds are like boats in that Mahá Samudra. As per the rise and fall of Paramarasa of Parama Puruśa, the unit minds are to rise and fall i.e. as boats rise and fall with the waves of the ocean. The unit mind intentionally or unintentionally has to dance according to the rhythms and waves created by Parama Puruśa. This they are bound to do, there is no escape. Even if someone says that he will not dance because he is ashamed of dancing, really he dances, anyway; he simply does not know it. Everybody dances in the Paramarasa-Samudra. The vi- sayarasatmaka jiiva has to dance. There is no way out, they are made to dance. This very thing is the Rasa Liilá of Krśńa. There is difference between liilá and kriidá. Kriidá is

98 causal. Everything in this world of relativity is causal. But Parama Puruśa is beyond the scope of relativity. Why is He making the world dance? Why has He made Paramarasa- Samudra? The answer to this cannot be known in the world of causality. Why Paramátmá has done something has no answer because He is beyond the scope of causality. Hence that which is non-causal, that which is beyond the scope of causality is Liilá. Whatever Paramátmá does is liilá, but what jiiva does is kriidá. The wise will do kriidá in such a way as to adjust their waves with the waves of liilá. They will not try to know why Liilámaya has done an action. They will simply try to know Liilámaya Himself. If you cannot know the cause of a trifling thing like dancing, how can you know the cause of the action of Liilámaya? Jiiva has a very small brain and a very small cranium. It is not possible for it to know the action of Liilámaya. Suppose someone is an MA in 20 subjects. If he or she is asked suddenly to appear in the MA examination, he will not pass – he will have to read again, then he will have to appear. This proves that the jiiva fails even to succeed in its own kriidá. So how can it understand the cause of the liilá of Liilámaya? It cannot. The best approach is to love Him, is to join His party. If there is true love the Master Magician will certainly make you understand everything because the more the members of His party know, the more convenient it is for Him. Hence He is “Bhavakendrasthitah.”

There is a particular tune, a particular rhythm, a particular rága, a particular rágini, par- ticular laya and a particular tála in the Paramarasa-samudra as per the vibration projected in the nucleus of the Paramarasa. One who gets one acquainted with these does not like visayarasa, and naturally leaving the visayarasa, one goes into Paramarasa. Then the at- tachment with the rága and rágini of visayarasa is lessened and one becomes like a luna- tic. People say correctly that Rádha, hearing the melodious tune of the flute of Krśńa, started behaving abnormally. This was due to the bifurcation of the waves of Visayarasa and then sudden adjustment with the waves of Paramarasa. When a rural boy comes to the town and sees cinemas, then he does not like to see Rámaliilá. He says “Rámaliilá is out- dated. Cinema is far better.” Is it not so? Likewise, when one comes in contact with the waves of Paramarasa, the charm of visayarasa fades away.

Wherever there is wave, there is sound – there is the sound of the ocean, of the river. The sound of Paramarasa is Krśńa’s muralidhvani. The sound of the visayarasa is “Money, more money, more corn, more vegetables, more bank balance.” Don’t you hear this? The sound of first class first, the sound for extension after retirement are the sounds of visayarasa. The sound for the wedding of the daughter with no expenses is essentially the sound of vi- sayarasa. The sound of Paramarasa is the muralidhvani of Krśńa. Hearing this, one does not appreciate the sound of visayarasa. Parama Puruśa is Puruśottama – He is seated in the nucleus of Paramarasa.

Parama Puruśa is “Guńayantrakashca”. When guńa acts in material body that is known as energy. Energy is controlled by Prakrti but Prakrti, being the innate principle of Parama Puruśa, is controlled and guided by Him. The actions are controlled by Prakrti, but Prakrti is controlled by Parama Puruśa. Hence Parama Puruśa should alone be the be-all and end- all of humans. One must bear it in mind always that the visayarasa of the units is encircled by Paramarasa from all the ten directions. You are never away from Parama Puruśa. He is always with you and in no condition you are alone. Since your activity is within Parama-

99 rasa, whatever you think, whatever you do with your organs is all made known to Para- marasa Samudra. Since Paramarasa Samudra knows it, it becomes the duty of Parama Pu- ruśa as the witnessing entity to take you to task as long as you are not mended. I told you, Parama Puruśa is the creator and operator. His is not a vow to punish you, but to mend you i.e. whatever He thinks proper for you He will do, and it is proper for you to let Him do His will. Parama Puruśa will take care of those who take His shelter. He will not help those who think that they can take care of themselves, however, as He lets them do the things on their own. Therefore, it is told that for bhaktas, Bhagaván has special responsi- bility. It is the duty of Parama Puruśa to save the prestige of the bhakta, and the duty of the bhakta is to leave everything on Him. Whatever energy is working in Paramarasa or visa- varasa is under Him. Therefore, when once you develop your love for Him you are not weak, not helpless and not alone. The victory is with you. Remember Him and march ahead – victory will be yours. You have not to be afraid of the worldly forces. Those who enjoy the highest force of Parama Puruśa are sure to succeed. Victory will surely be theirs.

Victory to you all.

July 1967 DMC, Jaipur

Footnotes

(1) Jodhpur and Jaipur are names of towns in India. –Eds.

100 Occult Powers or Parama Puruśa?

What is the goal of human life? A person should love – what? Parama Puruśa, or occult power? If one gains occult power, one may do so many things. In the third stage of sá- dhaná,(1) a sádhaka gets some occult power. And after getting the occult power, suppose that he or she becomes engaged with that occult power, he or she wants to display that occult power. What will happen? He or she will fall down. He or she will be nowhere. He or she will not remain a sádhaka. So in that stage, in the third stage, one will have to be very, very cautious. And even with those occult powers [one should say], “I want Parama Puruśa, not the occult powers.” Do you follow?

Mother is cooking and little baby is there crying. “Ma! Ma!” he is crying. What will the mother do in such a case? She will give a toy to that little baby and again start her duty, her cooking duty. But the baby is quite intelligent and says, “No! I don’t want this toy, I want you!” Then what is the mother to do? She will have to do like this [imitating a mother cuddling a baby in her arms]. It is the mother, and not the toy, that the intelligent baby wants. Similarly, an occult power is just like a toy. If Parama Puruśa gives you a toy, what are you to say? “Oh, ah, very good, very good!” – ? No, you are to say, “I don’t want it, I want You.” What are you to say? “I don’t want the toy, I want the Maker of the toy.” So you see the third stage of sádhaná(2) is a great [test]. You will have to select between occult powers and Parama Puruśa.

What will you [looking at one particular disciple] do in that case, in that third stage of sádhaná? Will you will choose occult powers, for people to say, “Oh, D– is a supernatural man! D–, you’re a great yogi! You have so much power!” Will you do like this? No, no, you want [Parama Puruśa]. And you…? [asking various disciples] And you…? Don’t you want occult powers? No, you do not want occult powers. That is [right]. “I don’t want oc- cult powers, I want the Lord of occult powers.”

In society those who have no knowledge, little knowledge, regarding spirituality, think oc- cult power is everything. But those who are actually elevated persons [consider such power] meaningless. When a sádhaka wants occult power from Parama Puruśa, he or she may or may not get occult power, but it is sure he or she will not get Parama Puruśa, be- cause he or she did not want Parama Puruśa. He or she wanted occult powers, so he or she may or may not get occult powers, but he or she will not get Parama Puruśa. Be very strict in this respect.

[The author paused and looked very slowly and intently at almost everyone in the room. There was absolute silence.]

Do you follow?

[Addressing one disciple:] V–K–, stand up. Do you want occult powers? You don’t want occult powers? Then you are not an “intelligent” fellow if you don’t want occult powers! You don’t want to be that type of intelligent, eh?

101 Do meditation on occult powers and see if you are getting any – what shall I say – ána- ndam [bliss] or not. Ahhh. Now meditation on Parama Puruśa – don’t disturb him please – meditate on Parama Puruśa. [V–K–, in trance, raised his head back.] Certainly you are get- ting ánandam. [V–K–’s head went higher, his back arched.] Try to be with Parama Puruśa. Go inner and inner… [V–K–’s hands rose up shoulder height, then higher and higher, out- stretched and quivering]… inner and inner… inner and inner… [V–K– groaned with ec- static feeling]… inner and inner… [V–K– moaning]… inner and inner… [V–K– moans very intense]… be with Parama Puruśa… go inner and inner… inner and inner. [V–K– gasped and fell backwards in samádhi (ecstatic trance) and into another disciple’s lap.]

Don’t disturb him. He wanted Parama Puruśa. So, if you want to get occult powers, go outer and outer; if you want Parama Puruśa, go inner and inner and inner and inner.

You should always remember this. Do not be after occult powers, be after Parama Puruśa. Occult powers, like all other powers, are transitory, temporary in nature, not permanent in nature. As soon as you die, occult powers will also be taken away from you. But Parama Puruśa will remain with you even at that time, for that property is of a permanent nature.

Occult power is an ordinary power. The general public does not possess that ordinary power, that is why they think it is a supernatural power, is occult power. Gold is an ordi- nary metal, but because it is a bit rare, it is costly. Otherwise machines, spades, tractors would have been manufactured with the help of – what? Gold, not iron. Gold is an ordi- nary metal. It is just like that. Occult power is an ordinary power. People say it is super- natural. There is nothing supernatural in this world. Everything is natural. But because it is a bit rare, people say it is supernatural.

Do you children want occult power? Or [pointing to V–K–, still in samádhi] do you want to be a “fool” like that one?

21 December 1971 morning, Patna

Footnotes

(1) For the four stages of sádhaná, see “The Phases of Human Approach” in this book, and the book Stages of Psycho-Spiritual Sádhaná as included in Ánanda Márga Philosophy in a Nutshell Parts 5 and 6. –Eds.

(2) For the four stages of sádhaná, see “The Phases of Human Approach” in this book, and the book Stages of Psycho-Spiritual Sádhaná as included in Ánanda Márga Philosophy in a Nutshell Parts 5 and 6. –Eds.

102 Brahma Krpáhi Kevalam

Nirguńa Brahma is eternal without beginning or end and Saguńa Brahma also is eternal without beginning or end. Many people believe that when Saguńa Brahma is within the infinite Nirguńa Brahma, then the former is indeed finite. This mistaken belief arises be- cause people have no conception of the infinite, or have the capacity to conceive of it. If four is deducted from ten the remainder is six. Both four and ten are finite and the remain- der six is also finite. However, if anything finite or infinite is deducted from the infinite the remainder is still infinite. So if the boundless Saguńa Brahma is taken from the infinite Nir- guńa Brahma, the remainder is still the infinite Nirguńa Brahma.

Púrńamadah púrńamidaḿ púrnád púrńamudacyate Púrńasya púrńamádáya púrńamevávashisyate.

That is to say, this is infinite and that also is infinite. The perfect has given rise to the per- fect and if infinite be taken from the infinite, the remainder also is infinite.

Saguńa Brahma is the nucleus of knowledge in the form of Puruśottama and His mental state is His object. Is Puruśottama infinite or finite? For the reasons for which Puruśottama is established in the subjective-feeling, for those very reasons His knowledge aspect is not destroyed. He is not under the bondage of Máyá (Prakrti) and whatever is beyond the bounds of Máyá is beyond the bounds of time, place and person. Hence Puruśottama is independent of time, place and form and is therefore infinite.

The question we are considering is whether the mind of Puruśottama, the Cosmic Mind, is finite or infinite. Mind has three aspects: mahattattva, ahaḿttatva and citta. Because satt- vaguńa is expressed only in mahattatva there are no limiting boundaries in the cosmic “I”. Giving shape to a thing after rendering it finite is effected by tamoguńa.

In the ahaḿtattva, that is, wherein the state of Saguńa Brahma only sattvaguńa and ra- joguńa can exist, and no tamoguńa, there can be no limitations giving rise to crudeness of physical forms. So the mahatattva and ahaḿtattva portions of the Cosmic Mind are infinite, that is to say, the Cosmic Mind is infinite. Is the Cosmic Citta, the crudest manifestation of the Cosmic Mind, finite or infinite? When citta has been created under the influence of tamoguńa, it is undoubtedly bounded by the limitation of time. Just as with the idea of oneness. He acquires the form out of the five fundamental factors for specific objects, or for the sake of sustaining the existence, accepts or discards them, so also the entire Cos- mic Mind assumes a particular shape, the boundaries of which are formed by the unit mind. The only difference between the two is that the component of the unit mind is only the reflection of the Cosmic Mind. This quinquelemental world is the crude manifestation of the Cosmic Mind. The Cosmic Mind is the creator of the sublime form of the unit mind and forms the medium of the individual for feeling of pleasure or pain.

Though this quinquelemental world is very large and extensive, it is not infinite because it is simply the collective evolution of the Cosmic Citta, created by the help of tamoguńa.

103 Without doubt it is limited. Just as each of the planets, the stars and the heavenly bodies possesses a particular shape, so also their sum-total is not shapeless, because they are all the results of the mind-stuff of the Cosmic Mind. One day the scientists will also under- stand this reality and recognize the validity of the sages’ words. This extremely vast cosmic mind-stuff, which resembles the oval shape of the solar world is known as Brahmánda (ańd́a means egg).

Regardless of how vast it is, the visible universe is finite. But is the potentiality of the Cos- mic Mind also limited? When the cosmic mind-stuff merges into the state of Nirguńa Brahma, will the Saguńa Brahma also attain mokśa? No, it will not. Even though all the manifestations of the cosmic mind-stuff are limited, the mind-stuff is not finite. The origin of Saguńa Brahma is beyond the limits of time. Whatever Saguńa Brahma has done in the form of Prajápati, since eternity and without beginning has accumulated never ending saḿskáras. The original actions of these reactions have not been performed by any indi- vidual finite mind-stuff. Rather innumerable mind-stuffs have been formed and destroyed, and to suffer those reactions innumerable mind-stuffs of Brahma will in the future be cre- ated and destroyed. In the limited mind-stuff of Brahma, regardless of how vast it is, all reactions have neither been expressed or pulsated nor can they ever be so. As His Citta wanes, His unexpressed or unvibrated saḿskáras to on creating new mind-stuffs in His Cosmic Mind to making Him bear the consequences of His actions.

As today’s galaxies gradually evolve into stars and planets and ultimately get merged in Nirguńa Brahma the highest attainment of sádhaná, so too new luminous bodies, new atoms and electrons and new electrical bodies will be created.

For this reason I say that the present Cosmic Citta is limited, but the cosmic mind-stuff is infinite and will continue throughout eternity. When we discover that the Cosmic Mind is the innumerable expressions of the mind-stuffs in their totality, then we are correct in calling it infinite.

Remember that your personality will also advance through transmutation like all other en- tities. The total extinction of the Cosmic Mind will never occur. You have no cause to fear any final dissolution of the universe.

Those who think that Brahma has something to gain by the attainment of emancipation by a living being are mistaken. What is the decease in the size, of the cosmic mind-stuff when one person attains supreme redemption? Again, that person will be created out of the un- manifested saḿskáras. For the sake of reaping His saḿskáras, Brahma continues to imag- ine and will continue throughout eternity. Brahma may be happy about the redemption of a unit living being, but it is no help to Him in attaining salvation.

It is expedient for human beings to be ever grateful to Him, since by His grace He has equipped them with the requisites for sádhaná. He constantly showers His grace without reservation even on those persons who make no effort for salvation and who gradually de- grade themselves. Even though you calumniate Brahma and deny His existence, yet He will not be displeased with you. He will not thrust you on the path of destruction. His im- posing countenance of forgiveness will for ever remain, and He will forever go on direct-

104 ing you to the ways of salvation. Who else is your genuine friend and compassionate companion?

Tvameva mátá ca pitá tvameva Tvameva bandhushca sakhá tvameva; Tvameva vidyá dravińaḿ tvameva Tvameva sarvaḿ mama Devadeva.

Do not disregard this enlivening love of your supreme friend. Do not allow any of His gifts to go unused. Pay heed to His words with a steady mind. Do not forget how much He has done for you, how much He is doing and how much ready He is to do anything for you.

When the aspirant advances a little on the path of Sádhaná then His grace becomes more and more refulgent. The aspirant’s mind is perfused with feeling of love. The waves of bliss start stirring up his or her mind. His or her voice is choked by the influx of emotions and through lips zealous with sentiment, through the tilting body and tearful eyes, one and only one soundless voice recites. It recites the feeling of solitary self-surrender to Him, of complete dependence on Him – “Brahma krpáhi kevalam.”

1 March 1956 DMC, Jamalpur

105 God is with You

You all know that Parama Puruśa is very close to you. He is so near that nothing can be nearer. As Parama Puruśa is everywhere, He is also at the farthest point from you. If you feel that He is far from you, He becomes so distant that you cannot measure the distance.

If you [think] that Parama Puruśa is great and vast, He appears so huge and enormous that you will be bewildered. He will appear so resplendent that your eyes will close at His sight. He is the Creator of this expressed universe. But He is also in the smallest atom of this universe. If He were not also so small, so subtle, how could He enter such a small thing as an atom?

He appears to you as per your feelings towards Him. If you are subtle, He is nearest to you; if you are crude, He is farthest from you. Do you feel that Parama Puruśa is in Ranchi or is in America? He is so near as to be in your [“I”] feeling, and so far as a distant country. When you think He is here, He is nearer than here. He is so near that it is difficult to measure the distance. You search Him in the caves of the Himalayas and wander here and there and He is nowhere. But when you attain awareness of Him, you know that He was along with you in your search and that He was seated in your heart.

He shares your joys and pains, as He is with you through thick and thin. He never leaves you even when all others have abandoned you.

Every jiiva, every living being, is the child of immortality. You have been born in eternity and you are moving towards immortality. Therefore there is no need to be afraid, despon- dent, or sorry in any condition.

Never think that your life has become useless. It is in your hands to make your life useful or to waste it. If you are aware that Parama Puruśa is always with you, in you, and that He is the greatest of the entities and there is no other entity who loves you so dearly, you will have no cause to feel that your life has become useless.

23 May 1971, Ranchi

106 Your Personal Relationship with God

In the morning I said that it is the utilization of energy which matters and not the posses- sion of an unutilised capacity. Many people have inferiority complexes of different kinds. They think they are not learned. How will they achieve the goal of their life?

It is wrong to presume that by reading voluminous books or by delivering beautiful lec- tures, one can attain Parama Puruśa. No scholarship nor even literacy is required to meet God. The future of those who are uneducated is also bright.

God’s relation with human beings is a family relation. When parents feed the children, they do not give four chapatis to the son who is a Master of Arts and only one to the next son who is only a matriculate. For parents, all their children are equal. Similarly, for God all persons are equal for the spiritual food He will give them. Really, the love of parents is dependent not upon the education of the children but upon the children’s attachment for the parents.

Scholars or intellectuals have one drawback. They read different theories and philosophies, and these things create a clash in their minds. They are unable to decide whether this philosophy is correct, or that one is correct. The uneducated, on the other hand, are better off, as they walk on the spiritual path with steadiness, undisturbed by warring ideas. The intellect is incapable of comprehending Parama Puruśa. After all, the intellect is only a creation of the process in which Pure Consciousness reconverts itself into [the mind] out of the five fundamental factors into which it converted itself earlier. Being a created thing, intellect cannot comprehend its Creator, the Supreme Being. The puppets can perform any play the master wants them to perform, but they cannot control the master who plays them.

What is knowledge? It is the subjectivization of the object. God, being the ultimate sub- jectivity, cannot be caught by the thought process, which can only catch external objects and not a superior stage of subjectivity.

Nor is God attained merely by listening to a lot of [spiritual discourses]. Some persons are fond of attending spiritual congregations. But what they hear with one ear goes out the other at a 180º angle, and does not lead to salvation. With kiirtana and the remembrance of God, however, it is otherwise. Whether you do these things with faith and devotion, or with enmity, the results are encouraging.

The word shraddhá [translated “faith and devotion”] really has no equivalent in the English language. Whatever you consider as the summum bonum of life is sat. And when you di- rect all your faculties and sentiments towards the attainment of this goal, this is called shrat. And the feeling associated with this is called shraddhá.

Even when you think of God as an enemy, you are involved in Him. Really, our mind is more activated [to think about somebody] by anger and hatred [than by positive propensi-

107 ties]. When we have a quarrel with somebody, we keep on thinking that the next time we meet that person, we will say this or that. Therefore, God will be attained whether you love Him or hate Him. Ravana was constantly thinking of Rama as his enemy and there- fore he also attained salvation through His hands. But merely listening to scriptures or talks is not going to bring about the desired results.

Another fact must be remembered: that God is realized only by those whom He graces with compassion. You should not have the feeling in mind, “Now I have done so much; God should shower His grace on me.” Rather you should feel, “It is for You, O Lord, to grace me or not. This body of mine will work like a machine until You grace me with love.” If you are proud of your meritorious actions, this pride will remain in the end and not the grace of God. For Him, all are equal. For society, the differences matter, but not for God. His grace is raining on all, but if you are carrying an umbrella of ego on your head, how will you get drenched by His Grace? Everyone has a right to enter Brahmaloka [the subtlest layer of the Macrocosmic Mind]; this is the birthright of all. He is kind to all, every moment of one’s life. One has only to receive this kindness by removing the ego.

However great a sinner one may be, the moment one surrenders to the Lord, one becomes a devotee – his or her salvation is guaranteed.

The Entity whom you are trying to attain – Parama Puruśa – is your own innermost self. Your relation with Him is not external, to be defined by courts, laws, or society. It is a fam- ily relationship. The desire in your mind to meet God is only born when He is inclined to- wards you. It is the result of His desire to meet you. Your meeting with God is not a unilat- eral affair, it is a mutual thing. You walk one step towards Him and He will come twenty towards you.

When an infant starts walking, the parent first asks it and goads it to walk a little. It tries to walk, but falls. Then the parent advances and lifts it up onto his or her lap. God does the same. Make the slightest effort, and He will pick you up and place you on His lap.

Your relation with God is personal. No one can sever this relationship. It is part of your being, your birthright.

21 January 1971 evening, Ranchi

108 Properly Utilize Yourself to Reach God

There is a famous verse from the Upanishads which says that you cannot reach Parama Puruśa unless you are strong and full of energy. The word bala means that spiritual force which functions in a jiiva [living being] base. In ordinary parlance, however, bala means “capacity”. It depends upon the extent to which one makes use of one’s physical, psychic and spiritual energy. A person may have immense capacity, but to the extent that he or she does not utilize it, it does not become helpful in God-realization. Bala, therefore, depends on the extent of the use of one’s capacity.

When the divine bridge was constructed by Rama to cross the ocean, Hanuman brought mountains, but the squirrel brought only small pebbles. Both were strong and full of en- ergy, as each was working to his full capacity.

Thus even a comparatively weak person can become balaván [strong] by utilizing the small energy he or she has. Whatever power, energy, you have, utilize it for sádhaná and service, and you are balaván, fit to reach Parama Puruśa. None of you need, therefore, despair. Each has the requisite wherewithal to reach the Almighty.

The utilization of energy should be in the proper direction. If you have to move to the east and you start moving towards the west, your action will be considered full of prámáda, or madness. Ánanda Márga has the correct way, through subjective approach and objective adjustment. While followers of Ánanda Márga keep their eyes steady on the absolute, they do not ignore this relative world. They work for self-realization and social upliftment, and hence the utilization of their energy is never in vain. When the effort is correct and the utilization right, you will certainly reach the goal.

I do not want you to wait life after life to reach your goal. You should realize the goal in this very life. Why will you waste even one precious moment of this life? Therefore fear not, success is yours for the asking. Go on making the correct effort.

21 May 1971 morning, Ranchi

109 The Bliss of the Devotee

In the Sanskrit language, the word nára has many meanings. One meaning is “water”. An- other meaning is Parama Prakrti – the Causal Matrix or Supreme Cosmic Operative Princi- ple. The third meaning is “devotion”.

The main and inevitable aim of every sádhaka is not to enjoy the nectar of devotion by himself or herself, but to distribute it all around. Sádhakas are eager to share with others the bliss which they enjoy.

In ancient times there was one such devotee who used to go from place to place distrib- uting the bliss of devotion. His name was Narada. Once he said to Parama Puruśa: “O Lord, all the scholars and philosophers say that You are omniscient, but people do not feel Your presence everywhere. Where, therefore, is the place where Your presence can most be felt? Or which place do You consider as dearest to You?”

The Lord replied, “It is true that I am everywhere; there is no action, no thought, no feel- ing, in which I am not present. All actions take place before My eyes, within My mind. Nothing [should] be done or thought which is meant to be hidden from Me. Still, I do not live in the seventh heaven as people think. Minds which are free from narrowness, limita- tions, and isms are the places dear to me.

“The true meaning of the word yoga is ‘to unify’. But those who do ásanas, práńáyáma, etc., without devotion are cultivating the desert. Without the water of devotion, their effort will not succeed. I am not in the hearts of such dry yogis.”

The meaning of the word bhakti is “attraction to the Supreme”. When the attraction is to something limited, it is called ásakti, and when the attraction is to the Supreme, it is devo- tion, bhakti. There is no compromise, no meeting point, between ásakti and bhakti, be- tween attraction to the Supreme and attraction to the objects of the world. In ásakti, the feeling is that I get the object. In bhakti, the feeling is that I merge myself in Him. Where there is no desire, there the Lord lives. The Lord and the desire for the world, like the sun and the night, cannot coexist.

For devotees, all other enjoyments are insipid. They are like saltless food. Hence the Lord says, “Where My devotees sing My praise, do kiirtana, there I go – I cannot help going there.”

One person is scholarly, another is rich; but they may or may not be devotees. The only thing that the devotee needs is love for the Lord. When all feelings, all attachments, are directed towards Him, then it is devotion. The only qualification is a sincere heart. If your heart is pure, you need nothing else.

Nothing is gained by becoming a jinánii.̭ [Jinána]̭ has use only so far as devotion has not been born. When you eat tasty food, the paper on which you place this food is jinána.̭ The

110 food itself is karma, and the taste of the food is bhakti. If you have absorbed the food and got its taste, the dirty paper of jinána̭ has to be thrown in the dustbin. This alone is wis- dom. Be wise!

22 January 1971, Ranchi

111 Knowledge and Progress

What is jinána̭ [knowledge]? It is subjectivisation of the external objectivity. It leads a per- son from crudity to subtlety; that is, wherever this tendency is found, that can be termed jinána,̭ and where the tendency is not present, [there is no] jinána.̭ And what is the base of jinána?̭ Where jinána̭ is completely physical, its base is the mind; where it is entirely spiritual, its base is the soul. Jinána̭ unifies the mind with the átman; this itself is the great- est quality of jinána.̭ That jinána̭ which does not unify the mind with the átman, is not jinána̭ but the confusion of jinána.̭ Because of this so-called jinána,̭ vanity creeps into a person. If you see a person with vanity, you must understand that that person has no knowledge, but the confusion of knowledge.

In the fifteenth century in India, and especially in Bengal, this confusion of knowledge de- veloped excessively. The people of Bengal would keep arguing about minor things. For hours together they would talk about subjects such as sound, shape, etc. They thought themselves to be great in doing so, and the person having victory considered himself to be a great pandit. But these persons were neither pandits nor jinániis.̭ They were not pańd́its because they were not established in pańd́a bháva [the feeling that one is Brahma], nor were they jinániis,̭ as their knowledge had not been subjectivized. They were arguing about pátrádhára taela or taeládhára pátra [“whether the pot is the container of the oil or the oil is contained in the pot”].

There was once an argument between two great pandits as to whether the sound of a fal- ling palm-fruit is produced first, or the palm-fruit falls first. The discussion continued for a good number of months, but with no decision. They then decided to see practically, sitting under a tree one night, whether the palm-fruit falls first or the sound is produced first. The next morning it was found that both of them had been killed by palm-fruits falling on their heads. Hence this so-called knowledge is not a knowledge at all, but the confusion of knowledge, which you surely do not want to possess.

In the first stage, the mind itself is the base of knowledge. What is the mind? The structure of human beings is metazoic. In that structure there are innumerable protozoa, protozoic minds, and protozoic microcosms. The resultant of all these protozoic microcosms is in the human mind. And in this metazoic structure there are metazoic minds, and with them are metazoic microcosms. Actually, each metazoic mind is a collection of [a number of] protozoic minds. For a human with a complex physical structure, there is also a unit mind. So the mind of a human has three compartments: the first is the collective protozoic [mind], the second is the collective metazoic mind, and the third is his or her own sepa- rate mind. Taking all three together, we get a human’s unit mind.

The protozoic minds are guided by instinct only. The protozoic mind is citta only, with no development of ahaḿ[tattva] or mahattattva. Ingesting food, supporting offspring – this is all done instinctively, according to their svabháva [spontaneously], the reasons being quite

112 unknown to those creatures. The earthworm does not know that it is an earthworm. It moves instinctively, spontaneously, according to its undeveloped mind. The protozoic minds and the protozoic microcosm can be said to be the physical mind. A protozoic creature has only physical mind. The collection of protozoic minds in the human can be said to be the physical mind of the human, known as the [Kámamaya Kośa]. It is guided by instinct, there is no discrimination.

But the metazoic mind moves with some intellect, or discrimination, as there has been some development of intellect in it. Hence the metazoic mind has control over the proto- zoic mind. The more the metazoic mind is developed in a creature, the more developed the creature is; that is, a metazoic structure will be more complicated. And where this complication has increased considerably, that physical structure is the human physical structure.

The individual mind in a human is a metazoic mind. Some one million years ago, the first parents of humanity were Australopithecines. The metazoic minds of the then people were very, very simple as compared to those of present-day people. Hence in the intellectual realm, the then people were quite underdeveloped. In the course of this one million years, the metazoic structure and physical structure of humans became very complicated. This resulted in the complication of their metazoic minds, too. Different propensities, a number of propensities, were added to their minds. The number of propensities in the human mind is far more than in animals’ minds. The reason is that the metazoic structure, the physical structure, of a human is very complicated, hence the human’s metazoic mind is very de- veloped.

The whole of a person comprises the person’s own mind, the person’s physical mind, and the metazoic minds. But in the protozoic minds there is a dominance of instinct. An ani- mal does not understand discrimination, but the stick. You know that a person within whom there is a dominance of animality does not agree with logic, but [understands dis- cipline].

You know that at the time of the fight between the Kaoravas and the Páńd́avas, the latter [tried] very reasonably to make the former understand, but in vain. Yudhiśt́hira even prayed to God for a change in them. There was the grace of Paramátman also, but they were too crude to understand this. But they could very easily understand when they heard the thundering sound of Gáńd́iiva [the bow of Arjuna]. Hence the protozoic mind suc- cumbs to physical [discipline], and nothing else.

All the protozoic minds in a human try to influence the human mind. The metazoic minds try to do likewise. Where the personal mind of a human is not vigilant, it becomes influ- enced by the protozoic minds and the metazoic minds. The person is led towards animal- ity. But when the personal mind is vigilant, it has full control over the protozoic and meta- zoic minds. To maintain control is an internal fight. This fight is [the] first stage of sádhaná. This fight is quite essential for sádhaná. On the one side there is dharma buddhi [good thought], and on the other, the forces of instincts.

113 Protozoic minds move instinctively, whereas metazoic minds move with abhijinátá̭ [ac- quaintance, experience]. Hence undeveloped and underdeveloped metazoic structures work with both acquaintance and experience. Sub-human animals such as dogs and mon- keys learn through this acquaintance [and experience]. The mind of an Alsatian dog be- comes developed a lot when it comes in contact with a trainer; that is, it learns through training, for it has a metazoic mind. The jinána̭ of a protozoic mind, that is, instinct only, is known as “physical knowledge”. The knowledge that a human acquires in touch with physicality is in its first stage physico-psychic. And when this physico-psychic knowledge becomes established in the mind, it is known as “psychic knowledge”. And psychic knowledge, when it is translated into the physical world, is psycho-physical knowledge.

Worldly knowledge, the confusion of knowledge, is in its first stage physico-psychic, and then psychic. That itself is translated into the physical world, hence it is psycho-physical. And what is the source of this physico-psychic knowledge? – let us see how far it is authentic. You derive jinána̭ from books. You will read “Lahore is the capital of the Punjab” in a book twenty-seven years old. But this does not stand correct today. This is because the source of physical knowledge is bound up by time, space, and person. With the change of time, space, and person, physical knowledge will change. Hence it is not a permanent knowledge. It is based on falsehood.

There can be still one more flaw in the source of physical knowledge, and that is a printing mistake. Because of it you read “Lahore” as “Labore”. Next, there can be something wrong with your eyes, also, which causes you to read “Lanore”. These things provoke laughter in the audience.

Hence because of defects in the different media, this knowledge will be wrong knowl- edge. If with this very knowledge a person is full of vanity, is that person not a first-class fool?

This physico-psychic knowledge has value to some small extent in the physical world. But its value is always changing. The theory which is appreciated today changes tomorrow. Hence every knowledge in the world – every physico-psychic knowledge – is defective. To be proud of this kind of knowledge is not at all the job of the wise. It is better to say, “I do not know anything.”

So what is true knowledge? True knowledge is the knowledge of that object which never undergoes any metamorphosis due to changes in time, space, and person. Everything in the world is causal; that is, the effect is followed by the cause, and the cause by the effect. It goes on like this. The effect of one phase becomes the cause of the next. This is known as sadrsha parińáma in Tantra. As long as we are under temporal, spatial and personal factors, the cause-and-effect factor will work. Where the cause-and-effect factor works, there only imperfection exists. One cannot be proud [of] the knowledge springing out of that source.

It is said in the Vedas, “I don’t speak [about what] I don’t know, nor do I speak [about what] I do know. Because the Transcendental Entity is known only by the person who

114 knows that Paramátman is beyond knowing and not knowing.” This is because knowing is a particular psychic projection coming within the scope of time, space, and person. And not knowing is another psychic projection coming within the scope of time, space, and person.

The Supreme Entity is beyond time, space, and person. It being non-changing, if a person makes an effort to acquire spirituo-psychic knowledge instead of physico-psychic, in order that the source of his or her knowledge be not the external physicality but rather internal spirituality, in that case that knowledge will be a perfect one.

What happens in the case of spirituo-psychic knowledge is that though its source is abso- lute, its subject is relative, as the mind works within the scope of relativity. The source of spirituo-psychic knowledge is absolute, the only absolute. When humans start acquiring knowledge, they should not endeavour for physico-psychic knowledge, on the contrary they should endeavour for spirituo-psychic knowledge. In spirituo-psychic knowledge, in the first phase there is more of psychic than spiritual. But later on, when mental concen- tration is gained in and there is advancement in sádhaná, the spiritual increases and the psychic decreases. And when gradually the proximity to spirituality increases, the psychic is completely eliminated, and only the spiritual exists. The final, terminating, point of this spirituo-psychic knowledge is spiritual knowledge, and that alone is knowledge. That is the real knowledge which does not change.

All physical, physico-psychic, psychic, and psycho-physical knowledge is not knowledge, but the confusion of knowledge. When humans realize that that so-called knowledge is of no value to them, then alone do they surrender to Parama Puruśa [Cosmic Cognition]. As long as people have the desire to acquire all relative knowledge, and try to do so, those people think themselves to be persons of letters, and refuse to surrender at the feet of Cosmic Cognition. When people’s vanity becomes powdered down by different blows, they realize that their approach to knowledge was a defective one. Then they surrender, and their egos are dashed to pieces. The greatest knowledge in the realm of physicality and mentality is that all the knowledge acquired by one so far is false. This physical knowledge is like the leaf of a shala tree [a tall evergreen with large leaves] on which peo- ple take meals. As long as you have not eaten, there is a value in the leaf, but the moment you have finished your meal, the leaf goes into the dust bin to be licked by the street dogs. When you come to realize that this physical knowledge of yours is only worth licking by a dog, then devotion will arise in you. Then you will acquire true knowledge.

What is the nature of the psycho-spiritual approach through which one acquires spirituo- psychic knowledge? When the physical mind reaches the zenith of subtlety, that is known as physico-psychic knowledge. There the value of physico-psychic knowledge starts. When one is established in psychic knowledge, then there is the expression of the psycho- physical in it. Likewise, when psychic knowledge reaches the zenith of subtlety, it comes in contact with spirituality, and the point where spiritual knowledge or spirituo-psychic knowledge functions in the mental scope, is alone said to be spirituo-psychic knowledge. As matter is made to be the end of life in acquiring physical knowledge (fit to be thrown

115 into the dust bin), so for acquiring spiritual knowledge, Paramátman should be made the end. Then alone will people get real knowledge.

How is it possible to make Paramátman the end of your life? Paramátman is the subject for the whole of the Cosmos, and the latter is His object. He is the Supreme Subjectivity, you are His object. It is not possible to make Him your object, as you are His object. Then what to do? You have to take the ideation that He is always witnessing you. The wise do not take Paramátman as their object exactly, but rather think that they are being witnessed by Him. “Paramátman is not my object; I am the object of Paramátman.” When this feeling is constantly there, always there, in a person, the name of this stage is dhruvasmrti. That you are the object of Paramátman is known to you, but you do not remember this all the time. When through sádhaná a person never forgets that Paramátman is always witnessing him or her, this is named dhruvasmrti. This alone is spiritual knowledge. In this stage alone does a person get true knowledge.

This spiritual knowledge can be translated into the mental sphere as well as into the physi- cal sphere. If a person is willing to translate it, he or she should do so, for that will bring a lot of good to the world. This alone is real knowledge. With this alone, progress is possi- ble. The most learned person is one who understands that he or she is not at all learned.

You are spiritual aspirants. You must always remember that physico-psychic knowledge is needed only in the physical world. But when [spiritual knowledge] is acquired in the indi- vidual life, then it is no longer required.

This very spiritual knowledge is alone devotion; that is, knowledge finally transforms itself into devotion after constant efforts; that is, when knowledge realizes that nothing is to be effected by it, then alone does it surrender to devotion. When knowledge surrenders to devotion, that is spiritual knowledge.

Hence remember that once you have got devotion, you have got everything. If Paramá- tman asked you your demand, you should demand nothing, and if at all God is pleased to give you something, you should ask for parábhakti [absolute devotion].

20 November 1966 DMC, Patna

116 Safeguards Against the Defects of Jinána and Karma

Jinána,̭ karma and bhakti(1) are essential for the attainment of Parama Puruśa – the cher- ished goal of life. It is through jinána̭ and karma that bhakti is aroused, and it is bhakti that leads human beings to that supernal bliss.

While bhakti is free from any defect, jinána̭ and karma may create certain shortcomings. The acquisition of jinána̭ often results in making a person alasa [lazy] and ahaḿkárii [proud]; while karma has the possibility of making a person proud. Unless a spiritual aspi- rant is able to get rid of these defects, the aspirant cannot be established in kevalá bhakti [non-attributional devotion], which is absolutely essential for the attainment of Parama Puruśa. The wise will, therefore, adopt such a conduct as to save themselves from the evil effects of jinána̭ and karma.

In order for sádhakas to save themselves from the evil effects of jinána,̭ they must learn how to get rid of those effects, and thus preclude the possibility of allowing their jinána̭ to be converted into bandhyá jinána̭ [sterile knowledge], which is so much in evidence among the intellectuals of today. This bandhyá jinána,̭ instead of being a source of inspira- tion to march on the path of progress, leads humans or society to utter destruction and de- cay

It has been observed that those engaged in the acquisition of jinána̭ lose touch with prac- ticality. Their constant preoccupation with books makes them lazy and lethargic, and they become shy of work; and this eventually leads to their downfall. The golden rule for get- ting rid of one’s defects is that one should first create opposite feelings and ideas in the mind, and then bring them into execution. In order to avoid laziness, therefore, one will have to work hard. Work is the manifestation of the Supreme Entity, so everyone will have to work, and work in greater and greater measure. Karma Brahmeti karma bahu kurviita [“Work is Brahma, therefore work more and more.”]

Work here does not mean just any engagement [of the faculties] which yields no result. Work is work only when it is directed towards collective welfare. It is of utmost impor- tance that everyone engage himself or herself in materializing the plan for collective wel- fare. That alone will save him or her from the evil of laziness and lethargy.

Ahaḿkára

The ahaḿkára [pride] that creeps into a person due to the acquisition of jinána̭ has very serious repercussions in human life. It can lead to the complete downfall of the individual. Ahaḿkára falls into three basic types, and each of the types brings disastrous results:

117 Abhimánaḿ surápánaḿ Gaoravaḿ raoravaḿ dhruvam; Pratiśt́há shúkariiviśt́há Trayaḿ tyaktvá Hariḿ bhajet.

[Abhimána is like surápána, gaorava leads to raorava, and pratiśt́há is like shúkariiviśt́há: an inflated ego is like drinking wine, self-aggrandizement leads one into the deepest hell, and social status is like the excrement of a pig. Give up all three of these and only sing the glories of the Lord.]

The first type of ahaḿkára is called abhimánam, which means that a person thinks that he or she deserves more than what he or she is getting; and consequently develops an over- bearing attitude towards everyone. Abhimána has been compared with drinking: anyone who indulges in it loses his or her discriminating judgment, just as a drunkard does. (A human is different from an animal only because he or she possesses viveka [faculty of dis- crimination] and buddhi [intellect]. And just as a drunkard gradually loses these priceless faculties, an abhimánii also becomes bereft of them.) Since the loss of the rational faculty goes against cardinal human virtues, drinking is a pápa [sin]. Similarly, abhimána is a pápa, and leads to the downfall of the individual.

Gaorava is the second type of ahaḿkára. It means “self-aggrandizement”. Puffed up with vanity, a person will want to project his or her image in an exaggerated manner. Often we hear somebody say, for example, that they have a rose the size of a balloon in their garden – whereas actually the rose may be the size of a ping-pong ball. Constant indulgence in this type of activity converts the mind into matter.

We have seen bulls moving about in the streets with an air of arrogance. Such a bull cre- ates a sound expressing the idea that it is big – Ham baŕá. But when the bull dies and tánṱ [vina string] is made out of its intestines and musicians start playing on it, the sound which is then emitted expresses the idea Tun ̭ baŕá – meaning thereby that the bull realizes that others are big, and realizes that he has arrived at this condition because of his arrogance.(2)

In fact the inculcation of gaorava leads one to the worst hell. Just as there are six layers, or lokas, of the Cosmic Mind above the crude world, so are there six types of hell, six narakas, below the physical world. The names of these hells are tala, atala, talátala, pátála, atipátála and rasátala. Another term for rasátala is raorava naraka – and a person indulging in gaorava will certainly go to raorava.

(It must, however, be remembered that all these hells or narakas are not actually to be found below this earth. These various narakas denote the mental and physical states of human beings. A person whose mind has been converted into matter like that of a stone is really not worthy to be called a human being, because he or she has lost the mental quali- ties of a human being. A person of this type is said to be living in naraka. This point has been clarified in Ánanda Sútram [by the author, 1962]: Na svargo na rasátalah [“There is no heaven and no hell”].)

118 The third type of ahaḿkára is [the desire for] pratiśt́há – the desire to make oneself known. A person influenced by [the desire for] pratiśt́há expects respect from everyone, and han- kers after name and fame. This mental state can be easily compared with the mental con- dition of a beggar. The beggar asks money from others, while the person craving for pres- tige begs others to give him or her respect. [The person desires something that] is really meaningless and possesses no value, something that has been fitly compared to the ex- crement of a pig.

Curing These Defects

After having analysed the various types of ahaḿkára and their evil effects, we need to ex- amine the ways and means of getting rid of these defects. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has of- fered a psychological method to save oneself from the malady of ahaḿkára. Ahaḿkára is really a mental ailment, and a person suffering from this disease requires psychological treatment. The following shloka summarizes the line of treatment suggested by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

Trńádapi suniicena taroriva sahiśńuna; Amániináḿ mánadeyaḿ kiirttaniya sadá Harih.

[You must be more humble than the grass and more tolerant than the trees. You must give respect to those whom no one respects, and always do kiirtana to the Lord.]

In order to get rid of abhimána, one will have to cultivate the habit of being polite and humble. Just as a [blade of grass] may lie on the ground [underfoot], but does not, through its remaining humble, lose its importance, so a person will never become insignificant by being humble. Humility such as that of the [blade of grass] can alone save a person from abhimána. Forbearance and tolerance like that of a tree which, even while being cut, con- tinues to give its cool shade, are also necessary in order to keep away from abhimána.

A person who is always engaged in the thought of his or her pratiśt́há must learn how to care about the respect and prestige of others. Such a person must never forget that respect begets respect, and that he or she should always honour those who are not honoured by anyone. A constant practice of this type will remove the evil effects of the desire for pra- tiśt́há. One easy way to do this is that you always do namaskára first and do not create a situation in which you may have to do prati-namaskára.

And finally, a person who moves about puffed up with vanity and arrogance, and is always engaged in gaorava, self-aggrandizement, will be able to improve only by utilizing his or her time in kiirtana. If a person keeps himself or herself engaged in kiirtana, that person will not have time to criticize and slander anyone in order to project his or her own image by comparison and contrast. So it is a must for such a person to do a lot of kiirtana, so that the person does not get time to indulge in the despicable activity of paranindá [slander- ing].

119 Therefore spiritual aspirants who have set their eyes on Parama Puruśa as their goal must always strive to get rid of álasya [lethargy] and ahaḿkára, and gain the full benefits of jinána̭ and karma, so as to arouse and enliven bhakti, which is the only road to the jour- ney’s end. The person will have to engage himself or herself in work for the collective welfare, will have to cultivate the qualities of humility, forbearance and tolerance, will have to learn to honour those who are honoured by none, and will have to participate in and organize kiirtanas.

Date unknown

Footnotes

(1) Forms of spiritual practice emphasizing, respectively, discrimination, selfless action, and devotion. –Eds.

(2) The two Hindi expressions approximate the bellow of a bull and the sound of a vina string, respectively, and mean “I am big” and “You are big.” –Eds.

120 Longing for the Great

Each and every living being has got the longing for the Great. Each and every human be- ing wants to do something noble, something lasting. But the life of each and every person is not crowned with success, because the thing that a person requires most is proper guid- ance.

There was a yogi-king in ancient India about thirty-five hundred years ago, and his guide was Lord Krśńa. Krśńa was a great yogi. The name of that yogi-king was Yudhisthira. Yudhi means “in war, in battle”, and śt́hira means “unaffected, unassailed” – “balanced”. One who can maintain one’s mental balance even in wartime is “Yudhisthira”.

Now, he was a yogi; “yogi” means a practical person. A yogi has got little to do with the- ory. A yogi is not a theoretician, a yogi is a practical person.

He was asked a question, and that question was, “What is the proper path, proper way?” And the answer of King Yudhisthira was – let me repeat it in Sanskrit –

Shrutayo vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam; Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh.

[The scriptures differ, the social codes differ; each sage has a different opinion. The es- sence of dharma lies deep in the mind; the realized one follows the true path.]

He replied that one is to follow the practical person and not the theoretician. The theory may or may not be a success in the field of application. It may be good in books, it may be good in theory, it may be good in contemplation, but it may or may not be useful in prac- tical life. So a yogi, a spiritual aspirant, has to follow the practical person. That is, a yogi is to follow a maháyogii [great yogi].

Shrutayo vibhinnáh. Now, there are so many scriptures in the world, but these scriptures vary from one another. Now, the supporters of those scriptures, the supporters of each and every scripture, say, “Ours is the message of God. It cannot be challenged.” By saying this, that is, that it cannot be challenged, they try to block the intellectual progress of human society. [By saying] that one should not think beyond this [they] want to do – what? They try to block, to seal, the intellectual progress of human society. They are enemies of human progress, they are enemies of human civilization. Had there been no intellectual progress, then even in this second half of the twentieth century, we would have been in the stone age. So there must be intellectual progress, and no power, no theory, should try to block this progress.

But scriptures vary from one another. And the supporters of each and every scripture say, “Ours is the message of God, it is the supreme word.” Then if all the scriptures are mes- sages of the same Supreme Being, why do they vary from one another? The Supreme Being is one, and if all the scriptures are messages of that single Supreme Being, then there

121 should not be any variation amongst themselves. This shows that those scriptures are not the messages of that Supreme Being.

But what is a common person to do? Whom to follow? In a particular scripture it will say that during meditation a person, a sádhaka, should be facing east. Another scripture will say no, a sádhaka should be facing west. Now how to adjust? Then if a sádhaka wants to make an adjustment, he or she either has to face north or south – an adjustment between east and west! Either north or south. A very difficult job, a knotty problem, a very knotty problem!

Now, those spiritual scriptures – not spiritual, those scriptures – vary from one another. What is a common person to do? Smrtayo vibhinnáh. In Sanskrit smrti means “social code”. “The scriptural codes vary;” the social codes also vary. In ancient times there were so many social systems, and now there are so many social systems in different portions of the world, and amongst different races of the world, and amongst different races of a par- ticular country. In the same country there are so many social codes and social usages. Whom to follow? Which one is absolute? Which one is perfect? What is a common person to do? A very knotty problem. What to do and what not to do?

Naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam. And intellectuals, you see, “always quarrel amongst themselves.” Non-intellectual people may have love and affection amongst them- selves, but intellectuals, you know, learned people, always quarrel amongst themselves. And they think if a particular intellectual supports the view of another intellectual – well, it is rather an insult to support others! One should create a particular school of thought of one’s own – one should not support others. So intellectuals always quarrel amongst them- selves.

The common person is to follow – whom? Intellectual A says Mr. B, another intellectual, knows nothing. And Mr. B says that Mr. C knows nothing. What is a common person to do, and whom to follow? Is one to follow Mr. A or Mr. B or Mr. C? A knotty problem. You see, intellectuals always vary – Naekamuniryasya mataḿ na bhinnam.

Now what is a person to do? What is a common person, a practical person, a yogi, to do?

Yudhisthira, as I said, was a yogi-king. He says: “Now what is the goal of life? The supreme goal of life, the supreme physical, intellectual, mental and spiritual goal of the entire Cos- mological order, is the same, the same desideratum for all.” And where lies that desidera- tum? Who is that supreme point? What is that supreme terminus? What is that supreme culminating point? And where doth lie that supreme point?

Yudhisthira says, Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám. The essence of spirituality lies cov- erted in the “I” feeling of each and every individual. You know, when “I” is connected with some other physical object, when “I” is connected with, related to, some other physical being, then that physical being is the object. “I” is the subject and that connecting link is the verbal expression. “I”… “food”: “I eat food.” “I”… “mango”: “I eat mango.” This “eat” is the connecting link, “eat” is the verbal expression. “I”… “water”… “drinking”: “I am

122 drinking water.” Here “am drinking” is the connecting link. Subject, object and connecting link.

Now, there is “I” in each and every living being. There is one “I” in you. “I am going.” “I am seeing Bábá.”(1) There is one “I”. Each and every individual has got one “I”. And that “I” is connected with external physicalities, external objects. Now, when “I” is connected with external objects, that “I” is the subtlest mind. That “I” is the subtlest portion of mind.

“I exist”: this “I” is the subtlest point of mind. And “exist”: while saying “exist”, we indi- rectly say, “I exist in the world, I exist in such-and-such place.” The object is mute here, the object is not expressed, but the object is understood. This “I” of “I exist” is the subtlest mind.(2) “I” is the subtlest mind.

Now you know, in the mind of each and every living being there is this feeling of “I exist”. There is one “I exist” in you. “I exist.” “I am.” “I exist.” Mm? This “I” is the subtlest mind. But don’t you know that there is the feeling of “I exist” in you? You know it, you know this fact, that there is the feeling of “I exist” in you. Don’t you know it? You know that there is a feeling of “I exist” in you. Then, “I know the fact that I exist. I know the fact that there is a feeling of ‘I exist’ in me.” Now here the “I” of “I exist”, the subject of the sentence “I ex- ist”, is the subtlest mind. And the “I” of “I know” – “I know the fact that I exist” – the sub- ject of the sentence “I know”, that “I” is the Átman, is the spirit, is the soul. It is not mind. There is a feeling of “I exist” in me – “I exist”. That “I” is the subtlest mind. The feeling that “I exist” is in me, is known to me. That knowing “I” – “I know that I exist” – that knowing “I” (the “I” of “I know”) is the Átman, the spirit, the soul.

Now, this “I exist” is the subtlest mind, and it is called guhá in Sanskrit. And what is the essence of spirituality? The “I” of “I know” – “I know that I exist” – that “I” of “I know” is the essence of spirituality. You know so many things, but you have to know your self. When you know your self, that stage, that stance, is the supreme stance. And for that reali- zation, to know your own “I”, is your sádhaná, is your spiritual practice.

And when you know your own “I” – You try to know so many people, but you don’t know your self. It is just like a citizen of Manila: he wants to see Hong Kong, he wants to see To- kyo, he wants to see Rangoon, but he does not know Manila. Áre,(3) first know Manila! First know your self, first know your inner “I”.

You know, a person can easily become omniscient. How can a living creature, a living being, be omniscient? The secret is, if you want to know all, know one. And that one is your own “I”. And if you want to know everything, if you try to know everything, you will not be able to know anything. If you want to know all, know one. And that one is your own “I”.

So the yogi-king Yudhisthira says: Dharmasya tattvam ́ nihitaḿ guháyám – “The spirit of dharma, the spirit of spirituality, the spirit of yoga, lies coverted, in” – what? “In your own ‘I’ feeling, in your own ‘I exist’.” Because “I know” – the “I” of “I know” – lies coverted in the “I” of “I exist”.

123 Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitam ́ guháyám. And who is your nearest person, what is your near- est object? You know, you try to know so many things, but you should know first of all your nearest object. Which one is your nearest object? Hand? Finger? Your nearest object?

Finger? No, no, no. Arm? No, no, no. Face? No, no, no. Hmm? What is the nearest point?

[Audience replies: “I”.]

“I” is your nearest entity. And the distance cannot be measured. Can you measure it? The distance cannot be measured. So it is the nearest entity.

First of all you should know, you should come in close contact with, all the wonts of your own “I”, all the characteristics of your own “I”. In your books, your laboratories, you study; you try to learn the characteristics of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen monoxide, hydro- gen peroxide, and so many elements and compounds. But you do not know the charac- teristics of your nearest object. Try to know all the characteristics of your nearest object in your mental laboratory.

How to do it? In the laboratory, a theoretician will not be of any help, will not be able to help you in your research. A theoretician, no, no. You require a practical demonstration there in the laboratory.

So King Yudhisthira says: “In the realm of spirituality, in the realm of yoga, whom to fol- low? Not those scriptures – you may or may not follow those scriptures, you may or may not follow those social codes, and you may or may not follow – you may or may not ditto – those intellectuals.” What are you to do? You are to follow those practical demonstra- tions, that is, you have to follow the yogi. And certainly, as per that yogi’s direction, you will attain that supreme stance, you will enjoy that supreme beatitude.

24 April 1969 DMC, Manila

Footnotes

(1) An affectionate name for the author, used by the author’s disciples. –Eds.

(2) An explanatory remark intended for the listening audience, not necessary for readers, omitted here. –Eds.

(3) An exclamation. –Eds.

124 Máyá and Mokśa

Today’s subject of discourse is Máyá and Mokśa. While speaking of Máyá, Lord Krśńa stresses the role of Máyá as being subordinate to Him, of Máyá being subservient to Iish- vara. Only those who surrender themselves to His protection and guidance can overcome its bounds. Just as northbound travelers have to keep the pole star before their eyes, the passenger on the path of liberation from Máyá will have to keep the Lord as his or her goal. No other physical or mental compass is potent enough to guide one’s progress on this path, the path of Dharma. That is why it is said that there is only one Dharma – the way towards the Absolute.

Máyá and the Creation

What is Máyá? When Parama Puruśa (Cognitive Principle) desires to create something, the shakti (force) required is known as Máyá. As such, one of the important characteristics of Máyá is its plasticity. It is equally clear that since Máyá is the force behind creation, if the Cognitive Principle had not desired to create anything, Máyá would have had no mani- festation.

What is it that made Him create and thus make the manifestation of Máyá possible? The traditionally upheld cause and effect theory cannot answer this question, for the theory works and holds good only in the expressed world (i.e., the universe after it has been cre- ated). Thus once the seed and the tree are there as a part of the expressed world, the cause and effect theory recognizes the seed as the cause and the tree as the effect. But why was the seed or the tree originally created is a problem beyond its scope. Thus the cause and effect theory does not go beyond the expressed world. Now action which is beyond cause and effect is liilá. To differentiate further, action which is governed by the cause and effect theory is known as Krd́a. All His creation is liilá. Hence the manifestation of Máyá in the expressed world too is His liilá.

Máyá and Jiivas

Máyá influences the jiiva in a number of ways. In His creation of the world, it is not the Citi Shakti that works. Instead, when ordered by Him, Máyá is the force which works. Here it is known as Visńumáyá.

When human beings experience His attraction from antahkarana, the feeling that some- thing is to be done is generated in them. This is also done by Máyá and here it is known as Yogamáyá.

Apart from these forms, Mayá works in the jiiva in two other forms – as Vishvamáyá and as Ańumáyá. The fundamental stuff or matter used in His creation is Himself. In this process of creation, the Cognitive Principle crudifies Himself into this expressed world with the

125 use of Viśńumáyá. But the essential element, the fundamental stuff is He. However, the Jiiva does not have the capacity to see Him in this creation. A person sees a pot as a pot, a forest as a forest and so on. This is the work of Vishvamáyá.

The sum of manifested Máyá in the universe is known as Máhámáyá. Now, it is observed that individuals can create the same things in their minds which are expressed outside and are seen in this expressed world. They can create a whole world in their minds, according to their fancy, and can enjoy pain or pleasure from it. Such vicarious living is found espe- cially in persons of advanced age. This is the work of Ańumáyá.

It must never be overlooked however that despite its various forms, it is His Máyá, and that He is the Máyádhiśha. Therefore, if the individual starts a fight against Máyá, he or she cannot succeed. This is amply confirmed by the fact that you cannot effectively indulge in the suppression or repression of a certain bháva for long, ultimately it overpowers you, be- cause the more you try to suppress it the greater becomes the force with which it re- bounds. If crude ideas come into your mind, you are not crude or bad – it is natural for them to come. But mental or psychic suppression or repression of these is not profitable for sádhakas. Instead the correct and psychological approach to Máyá is to channelize it in the direction of the Absolute. For in this expressed world, you cannot overpower Máyá because she has a much greater power.

The central problem of reconciling the earthly duties of human beings with their progress towards the absolute thus crops up. The answer lies in the fact that this world is a relative truth. Human beings should not become slaves to it but should use it properly. However, as mind is engaged in it while using it, one may tend to crudify both in the mind and hence, in the body. This would hamper movement towards the Absolute which is the sub- tlest entity. The way out is to bring in the ideation of the Absolute. In other words, you should realize that while living in the expressed crude world, you do not work for the worldly things but for Him and with Him, because He is the essential element, the funda- mental stuff out of which this world has been created.

Máyá and the Absolute

On the other hand, those who run away from this material world to escape Máyá only de- ceive themselves. For with the help of Máyá, they will be led to Him, as Máyá has a close relation with the Absolute. What is this relation?

Máyá has three guńas – operative principles through which it works – viz., sattvaguńa (sentient principle), rajoguńa (mutative principle) and tamoguńa (static principle). They work and lie in an ascending order on the road to the Absolute. The sentient principle (sattvaguńa) has the capacity to take the sádhaka very near Him (Nirákára Brahma) by making the mind more and more subtle. But there still lies a gap between this point and Nirákára Brahma. This gap is known as bháva or bhávaságar. This gap can only be negoti- ated with the help of devotion. Thus we see that Máyá, channelized properly (in its sen- tient operating principle), can take the sádhaka to a point very near Iishvara, from which point the domain of devotion begins. An interesting illustration is afforded by the following

126 story. Three thieves, Mr. Sattvaguńa, Mr. Rajoguńa and Mr. Tamoguńa once waylaid a man with some money in a dark forest. Though all agreed to pocket the money, Mr. Tamoguńa also desired to murder the man. The other two, however, would not agree to this. Mr. Ra- joguńa declared that the man be left alone to fend for himself in the dark. Mr. Sattvaguńa was more charitable. He led the unfortunate man all the way to the outskirts of the city. But after a point on the road he bade farewell and would not go into the lighted street for fear of being caught by the police. Therefore we arrive at the paradox that mukti (i.e. free- dom from the bondage of Máyá) can be achieved not by a fight against Máyá, but rather through its help.

Different kinds of sádhakas inhabit this world. Some ardently desire mukti, while others do not. The latter base their choice on the reasoning that by becoming one with Iishvara, the sádhaka loses the pleasure of being next to Him and harbouring Him as one’s sole bháva in work, service and sacrifice. Little do they know that this very ideation of the cosmic world leads them to mukti, for their minds have Him as their object.

The best and highest sádhaka and bhakta, however, surrenders the decision on this ques- tion to Iishvara. The ideation that he or she embraces is: “I am at your disposal. It is up to you to plan what you like for me”. Theirs is the wisdom to foresee that complete surrender alone, which is the essence of the highest bhakti, will enable them to sail the Bhávasagar unto His feet.

1 April 1968 DMC, Delhi

127 One and Zero

Your every action should be with Parama Puruśa. Without Him, your actions are as noth- ing, no matter how great they may seem. Yet if you do even a little with Him, you will have done a lot. He is like the number one, your actions are like zeros. If you take the One (1) first and to that One perform your actions, it is like adding zeros to the 1, it is like mul- tiplying by ten with each action. But if that One is not there, your zeros are added to each other and the net result can only be zero.

So go on multiplying; let not all be zero. You have taken a human form to realize Him, let not your life be wasted.

5 November 1971 Evening, Patna

128 Bhaktitattva

The word bhakti (devotion) means worshiping. For worshiping, both the person who wor- ships and the person who is worshiped must be present. Hence as long as there remains a difference between the devotee and God, there is the opportunity and necessity of Bhakti- Sádhaná.

Bhakti signifies longing for the Supreme:

Sa paránuraktriishvare.

The meaning of the word “paránurakti” should be considered. Rakti denotes raga or at- tachment. Anurakti means maintaining attachment with or being attracted by a particular entity after having understood its meaning. Anurakti is of two kinds. The anurakti for the Supreme Brahma or Infinite Cosmic Consciousness is paránurakti. The anurakti for Brahma under the sway of Prakrti or the anurakti for the crude manifestations is termed aparán- urakti. God is an object for paránurakti. When the aspirant considers the Supreme Brahma to be his or her own, it is termed bhajaná or bhakti.

The two varieties of anurakti exist only on account of the introverting or extroversial ac- tions of the mind; that is extroversion denotes aparánurakti, while introversion denotes paránurakti. The externalizing forces subordinate a person to the sense organs and render him or her crude. Such a person is divested of his or her spiritual force. paránurakti on the other hand releases a person from the grips of the indriyas and through sublime medita- tions establishes him or her in the finer sublimated senses, in the infinite blessedness be- yond the bounds of the Universe.

Now the question arises as to whether bhakti is natural or unnatural for the living beings. All the things we see in the manifested Universe, whether they be conscious or crude, have attraction for one another. This attraction is the Dharma of the created Universe and as a consequence the continuity of the thought projections of the Cosmic Mind is main- tained. Therefore, I say that attraction is natural for everything. It is due to the attractions for one another amongst myriads of heavenly bodies oscillating in the infinite space that balance is maintained in the firmament. In every planet or sub-planet, there is the effort for self-preservation. People run and assemble at a place which yields good water, good fruits and fertile lands, because they find adequate materials for self-preservation. The bee flies around the flowers in quest of honey for the sake of preserving its existence. Every entity runs more towards that which is more lasting and secure and which will provide it with greater and longer safety. People run after money because they believe that they can maintain their lives under the shelter of money, that money alone can save them. They do not know that money can provide neither a permanent stability nor securely founded shelter. During the span of one’s life money will come and go several times. At times its glamour will dazzle our eyes and at other times the lack of money will make one cry from hunger. Not only money, but all finite objects have this characteristic. One uses finite ob- jects with the intention of enjoying only one of their portions, then sooner or later the

129 residue will be reached. That which is finite cannot permanently remain the object of your enjoyment or your permanent resort. The existence of all these things is dependent on other things – bounded by the limits of time, place and person.

In philosophical terms the attraction for finite objects is called ásakti and the attraction for the infinite is bhakti. Rága or rakti means both the attraction for the infinite and attraction for the finite objects. “Sakasmae parampremarúpá,” that is, bhakti is the symbol of love and this love is dedicated towards Iishvara, signified by the letter “ka”. In the Vedic lan- guage the letter “ka” means God. God is indescribable. God is the nucleus of the universe and is supreme love personified.

Sa Iishvara anirvacaniiya paramapremusvarúpah.

Puruśa and Prakrti. Where a change in Puruśa occurs on account of the influence of Prakrti, the mind comes into being. The senses and organs are the recipients and the vehi- cles of the workings of the mind; so the mind is the worldly knower or subject of all worldly acts. The mind is the object of the untainted knowing Puruśa, and Puruśa is its subject or knowing self. When the mind as an object merges into Puruśa as the subject, distinction between the object and the subject ceases to exist. This is the supreme state of the aspirant. However when the mind is guided by Avidyá, that is, when it a seeks enjoy- ment in the finite objects, then, that externalized energy of the mind is ultimately identi- fied with the crude object. This is so whether this object is a creation of the mind itself or is taken from the crude quinquelemental world.

If the terrific speed which the extroverted person runs after the finite objects is introverted towards the Supreme Being, then he or she can attain Brahma and achieve the Supreme State. The devotee recites:

Yápriitiravivekináḿ viśayesvanapáyinii Tvámanusmaratah sáme hradayán mápasarpatu.

–Viśńupuráńa

That is, O Almighty, may the attraction which ignorant people bear towards the objects of their mind become an eternal love for thee, through Thy remembrance.

Pure bhakti cannot be based on finite objects since the very existence of finite objects is derived from extroverted feelings. Nevertheless, I painfully observe that many people con- fine their love and devotion to finite objects and as a result they do not attain the perva- siveness which love confers. They do not realize that every tiny atom of this vast universe is a creative manifestation of Cosmic Consciousness – God’s grand expression. They spend millions on the installation of idols and do not relent on seeing the afflictions of suffering humanity. They don’t hesitate when killing in cold blood a young goat for the so-called satiation of a goddess.

130 Vistárah sarvabhútasya Viśńorvishvamidaḿ jagat; Draśt́avyamátmavattasmádabhedena vicakśańaeh.

–Viśńupuráńa

The world is a changing phenomenon. Therefore, it is unwise to be attached to any object in this ever-changing world. The name and form of objects undergo changes with the change in time and place. The child changes into a youth, the youth into an old person, and the old person into a dead person. Wise people take every object of the world as the expression of one and single Viśńu and are not be affected by pain or pleasure when they witness changes in the name and form of any particular object. Viśńu to them remains Viśńu and they lose nothing.

While practicing bhakti a person proceeds with feelings ingrained in their saḿskáras, be- cause they derive pleasures out of them. However to proceed in accordance with the saḿskáras will not perfect an aspirant in pure cosmic feeling.

Bhaktiyogo bahuvidhaermargaerbhávini bhávyate Svabhávaguńmárgena puḿsaḿ bhavo vibhidyate.

That is, the methods and kinds of Bhaktiyoga, are manifold. A person adopts the process of Bhakti Sádhaná according to his own propensities.

Támasika sádhaná – saḿskáras inherently for their own implications are tamoguńii (static) but they manifest according to the past acts, which are sometimes dominated by rajah (mutative) and sometimes by sattva (sentient). An aspirant is called támasika when instead of being drawn to the rájasika or sattvaguńii splendors, he or she practices bhakti after having immersed his or her tamoguńii existence in the static force.

Abhisandháya yo himsáḿ dambhaḿ mátsaryameva vá Saḿrambhi bhinnadrkbhávo mayi Kuryat sa támasáh.

Persons craving for finite pleasures instead of the supreme bliss, under the influence of violence, arrogance or jealousy are támasika sádhakas. From amongst the támasika seek- ers there are some who do not forget the Supreme even after the realization of their object. Such persons had rájasika and sáttvika tendencies in dormant states and in fact were not támasika sádhakas.

Rájasika sádhakas – Those performing spiritual practices with the object of attaining a par- ticular finite object are called rájasika, The characteristic of rájasika rádhakas consists in their being engrossed in realizing their selfish ends and, not in causing detriment to others.

Viśayánabhisandhyya yasha aeshvryamevabá Arcádavarcayed yo maḿ prthagbhágvah sah rajsah

–Bhágavata

131 Those worshiping the Lord in the crude way with flowers and the trifoliated leaves of Aegle marmelos, worship for the sake of worldly objects, fame or wealth. In fact they long for those objects and not for the Lord. They are rájasika sádhakas. A few out of these rájasika seekers do not forget the Supreme Brahma. Even though they are rájasika seekers, they have sáttvika feelings to a significant degree.

Karmanirhármuddisya parasmin vátadarpańam Yajed yásti vá prthagmha sah sáttvikaśh

Those who pursue their practice with the prayer “O Lord, may my karma be annihilated. Emancipate me from the cycle of karmas” and those who pursue their practice as their duty or for the fear that people may decry them if they do not do so, are classed as sáttvika sádhakas. They are sáttvika sádhakas, in as much as they do not seek attainment of the Su- preme. However, this sáttvika sádhaná is not a superior degree of sádhaná or the supreme sádhaná, because none of the above control the energies of the aspirant and direct them towards the adored, the Supreme Brahma. The aim of the aspirant is channelized in a dif- ferent direction and he or she carries on with an inferior object. All the three such Bhaktas – sáttvika, rájasika and támasika are gaońii or inferior bhakti. Where there is no object other than the Supreme Brahma, it is called mukhyá bhakti. In mukhyá bhakti there the aspirant is free from the three guńas. He or she is absorbed in spiritual practices to Nir- guńa Bhakti. In general then, bhakti can be classified into many groups according to the object in view.

Nirguńa bhakti: Here the aspirants have no other object. They take themselves towards the Supreme Brahma only by the urge of their own spirit. If questioned as to why the love Him and devotes themselves to Him they say: “Oh, why do I love? I do not know. I love Him just because I like to love Him. Should I not love? He is the life of my life the soul of my soul”. This type of bhakti is nirguńa bhakti.

Vaedhii bhakti: Where there is no undivided bhakti for the Lord and the object is only to give a show to others. Today there is a particular festival, the floor will have to be be- smeared with cow dung in this way, the Ganges water will have to be sprinkled, the idols will be decorated in royal fashion or in the fashion of a child, the mantras will be chanted, the flowers offered, the leaves of Aegle marmelos will be offered in this way and so on. Such devotions practiced within the bounds of externalized usage and rituals is called vaedhii bhakti.

Yatra rágánaváptatvát pravrttirúpajáyate; Shásanenaeva shástrasya sá vaedhii bhaktirucyate.

* * *

Rágahiin jana bhaje shástrer ájináy;̭ Vidhibhakti bali táre sarva shástre gáy.

Támasikii, rájasikii and sáttvikii bhaktis affected by the three guńas are vaedhii bhaktis.

132 Jinánamishr̭ a bhakti: If the sáttvika sádhaka does not forget the adored even after realiza- tion of his or her object, then gradually the Supreme knowledge shines forth within his or her mind. This attainment is known by the name of jinánamishrá̭ bhakti. This bhakti also may be classed as nirguńa bhakti, but due to the dormant vanity for wealth or knowledge, the supreme state is not attained. This is also called pradhánibhuta bhakti. Pradhánibhuta is the highest stage of gaonii or inferior bhakti.

Kevalá bhakti: If aspirants from the very outset instead of devoting themselves to saguńa bhakti, realizes the permanence of nirguńa bhakti, the questions like “What have I at- tained”, “Why do I wish to attain?” etc, do not arise in their mind. This is the culmination of bhakti, it is the highest pitch of bhakti. If there is undivided knowledge with the object, then there exists one and only one entity, and that is why it is called kevalá bhakti. Kevalá bhakti is not attained by baths, exercises or austerity. Those who have not been blessed with the Divine Grace, even to a small extent, cannot have any realization about it.

Mahat krpayaeva Bhagavad Krpáleshád vá.

The position of kevalá bhakti is by all means superior to the gaonii bhakti. That is why it is called mukhyá bhakti. Whatever progress an aspirant may achieve in gaońii bhakti, the distinction between the adored and the adorer, or between the infinite and the finite re- mains with them till the end. This aspect is known as mahim jinána̭ in the scriptures. In the presence of mahim jinána̭ the devotee feels shy in merging in the Supreme Brahma.

Rágátmika bhakti: There is no mahim jinána̭ in kevalá bhakti. In this the aspirant runs to get close to the adored with all the zeal of his or her life. They consider the adored to be the life of their life and the soul of their soul. They have no time developing any distinction between the adored and the adorer or the infinite and the finite. The aspirant does not consider himself or herself to be the adorer of Rama but rather the personification of Rama. He or she loves to love, and cannot remain without loving because he or she en- tertains only this feeling.

Iśt́e svárasikii rágah paramaviśt́atá bhavet Tanmayii yá bhavet bhakti sátra rágátmikoditá.

The first stage of rágátmiká bhakti is known as rágánugá bhakti.

Rágátmikámanusrtá yá sá rágánugocyate.

Rágánugá bhakti molds the aspirants mind into the form of rágátmiká. The dualistic aspi- rants who deserve the rágátmiká bhakti aspire to be close to Brahma and feel His pres- ence, rather than to merge in Him. This is the zenith of rágátmika. They do not like to be- come sugar, rather they love to taste it and say that if they get transformed into sugar, then how would they realize the taste of sugar. The dualists call this stage Gopiibháva or Vra- jabháva.

133 Sei gopii man yár bhávámrte yáy; Veda-dharma tyaji sei Krśńake bhajay.

It has to be borne in mind that the original meaning of the word “Gopa”, i.e. a milkman, is not applicable. The word “go” means the sense organs. Only the one who sustains and controls the indriyas is Gopa or Gopála. The word Gopála also means “giver of bliss”. This vrajbháva is the proximal stage of kevalá bhakti. It is different from jinánamishrá̭ bhakti since there is no vanity for knowledge nor the show of riches. This devotion cannot be at- tained through vaedhii bhakti.

Sakala jagate more kare vidhi bhakti; Vidhi bhaktye Vrajabháva páite náhi shakti.

In Ánanda Márga, there is no place for vaedhii for or jinánamishrá̭ bhakti. Ánanda Márgis are aspirants of rágátmika bhakti, and therefore, they do not desire to terminate their jour- ney in a state of vrajabháva, whatever else there may be in dualistic vrajabháva, there is no expression of due reverence for the wish of Brahma or His introversive phase of the creative cycle. Why do people fail to realize the nice opportunity which His grace has of- fered them? Why will they not merge their “I” feeling into the immortality of the Supreme? By enjoying the bliss of divine attainment as a separate existence the unit mind and all the sense organs shall have to be controlled. Wherever the mind is with the indriyas, there the apprehension of deterioration exists. That is why the Ánanda Márgis do not accept staying in Gopiibháva.

Bháva: For the exposition of bhaktitattva, the use of the word bháva is indispensable. What does bháva signify?

Shuddhasattva visheśádvá premasúryáḿshu sámyabhák; Rucibhishcittamásrńya krdasao bháva ucyate.

–Shrirupa Goswami

Bháva is that whereby the citta or mind-stuff becomes purged and is chiefly dominated by sattvaguńa. Where all the ten directions become brilliant with the rays of the sun of love and the taste or anurakti for the Lord gets enlightened, then the citta develops oneness with Him. As a result of this bháva, human beings direct their natural attractive tendencies towards the adored. The adored, however is not outside them, but is the life of their life, the mind of their mind and the life master of their entire existence. When this feeling of devotion for the adored awakens the introversion of one’s tendencies, then one becomes absorbed in this bháva. One attains the state of realizing the self. In Vaeśńava philosophy this running into one’s own self is known as hládinii shakti because in this path there is a progressive refulgence of the light of mellifluous realizations.

When there is fear or feeling of crude propensities in the mind, there cannot be pure anu- rakti or bhakti. Devotion generated through fear is no bhakti at all, rather it is but a lam- entable state of mental crudeness. Some pray to the Lord for fear of hell and some for fear of torture and retribution in the next life. They hunger for emancipation from these fears.

134 This betrays a lack of knowledge of the truth and you should not give encouragement to this inferiority complex. Those who accept or know the Lord as their own self have no rea- son to entertain any fear of Him. This fearless movement towards the Lord is termed Love.

Samyaunmásrnito̭ svánto mamatvátishyánkitah Bháva sa eva sándrátma budhaeh premanigadyate.

–Shrirupa Goswami

When the mind attains Supreme serenity and a feeling of affection is developed for all beings then this is eternal peace and the sages call it love. Love cannot be developed for anything mean or finite.

Atmendriya priiti icchá táre bali káma; Krśńendriya priiti icchá dhare prema náma. Kámera tátparya nija sambhoga kevala; Krśńasukhaváincá̭ haya premete prabala.

Love and passion are mutually antagonistic tendencies. The attachment for a finite thing is an expression of extroverted energy, whereas the attraction for the Infinite is an expression of the introverted energy. That is why these two can never coexist. Therefore the aspirant has to skillfully to transform passion into love. Do you love your son? No, no you don’t love your son. You love Brahma in the form of your son. By loving your son as a son, you cannot love the Lord. Where there is the feeling of son, there is no Lord and where there is the Lord, there is no son. Where you exist He does not and where He exists you are no more.

Yánhá̭ kám tánhá̭ nehi Rám; Yánhá̭ Rám tánhá̭ nehi kám Dono ekatra nehi milae, Ravi rajanii ek t́hám.

Bhakti is of eight kinds: two kinds of támasika bhakti, two kinds of rájasika bhakti, two kinds of sáttvika bhakti, jinánamishrá̭ bhakti and kevalá bhakti. Previously I said that of these eight kinds, kevalá bhakti is the supreme. However, bhakti of any kind is of greater value than no bhakti at all, because bhakti regulates the flow of the human mind in one direction.

Ast́ávidháhyeśá bhaktiryasmin mlecche’pi vartate Sa viprendro munih Shriimán sa yatih sa ca pańd́itah.

A devotee of any of these eight kinds of bhakti, even though he or she is thoroughly en- grossed by superstitions should be considered as a high-ranking Bráhmana, a sage, an as- cetic or an erudite.

Cańdálo’pi dvijashreśt́hah Haribhaktiparáyanah Haribhakti-vihiihnashca vipro’pi shvapacádhamah.

135 Muci haye’ shuci hay yadi Hari bhaje; Shuci haye’ muci hay yadi Hari tyaje.

There is no distinction as to one’s eligibility for the bhakti sádhaná. All beings endowed with the human frame are eligible for this sádhaná.

Ánindyayonyadhikryate.

From the worldly standpoint even those degraded castes are entitled to do bhakti sádhaná. The great sage Nárada said:

Násti teśu játividyárúpakulakriyádi bhedah.

The highest attainment of bhakti is the attainment of the Supreme, but in the mind-stuff of the devotees of vaedhii bhakti a desire for the pleasures derived from objects is greater than a desire for the supreme Bliss. Just as a mother diverts a crying child by offering a toy, so too the devotees of vaedhii bhakti are as if deluded with toys. The mother is obliged to disengage herself from other jobs and embrace the child who throws off the toy. The devotees of kevala bhakti are shrewd like those children. There are three grades of devo- tees:

1. Superior

Shástreyuktao ca nipuńah sarvathá drd́ha nishcayah Praod́hoshraddho’dhikárii yah sa bhakta uttamomatah.

Those versed in the spiritual scriptures and competent in practices and of firm mind are the devotees of the highest degree.

2. Intermediate

Yo shástrádiśvanipuńah shraddháván sa tu madhyamah.

Those who have reverence, but have no knowledge of the scripture, are intermediate type of devotees.

3. Inferior

Yo bhavet komalashraddhah sah kaniśt́ho nigadyate.

Those who are neither erudite nor earnest are the wretched devotees. Rágamishrá bhakti or kevalá bhakti is attainable only by the highest category of devotees. They alone attain the pervasive evolution of their soul. That is why in the scriptures nirguńa bhakti is called the “puśt́i márga” while other routes are termed “mayádá márga”.

The more the aspirants of kevalá bhakti advance toward their Iśt́a the more they remain oblivious of their little self and attain the qualities of Iśt́a

136 Mádhava Mádhava anukhana sounari,̭ sundarii Mádhava bheli.

While constantly ideating on Mádhava, Radha calls herself Mádhava.

The devotees of kevalá bhakti perceive only Brahma. To them the entire universe is Brahma to them all activities excepting Brahma sádhaná are insignificant and valueless.

Rám nám ek aunka̭ hae sab sádhan hae shúńa; Aunk binu kachu hát nehi aunk rahe dasha guń.

Therefore, O devotees remember the Lord’s name else all your efforts will be reduced to cipher. Under all circumstances and during all activities, cling firmly to His name. The dharma of your childhood is to read and practice Brahma sádhaná. The Dharma of youth is to earn money and practice Brahma sádhaná. The dharma and of your old age, when you become incapacitated for all physical activities, is only to practice Brahma sádhaná. Prahláda says:

Kaomára ácaret prájino̭ dharmán bhágavatániha Durlabhaḿ mánuśaḿ janma tadapyadhruvamarthadam.

The wise practice dharma sádhaná right from infancy because a human life is rare and rarer still is the human life perfected through sádhaná.

Brahma is the dearest of the true devotees and therefore, every item and everything related to Brahma is dear to them.

Yei nám sei Krśńá bhaja niśt́ha kari; Námer sahit áchen ápani Shriihari.

The true devotees love the world, the society and everything around because they perceive each and every manifestation of the artful Prakrti with one universal spirit. They also love the finite, since it is also a portion of the Universal. They perceive worldly pleasures as di- vine bliss varied by time, place and person. They keep their mind-stuff absorbed in the eternal currents of the divine flow. Such devoted aspirants are the only true enjoyers or rasika and their object of enjoyment is the Supreme Brahma.

The Veda says: Rasah vae sah.

Only the knower of the Supreme Nectar is the enjoyer. If the divine bliss is viewed with a vile selfish motive, it turns into poison. If viewed with expanded vision, then it is attained in terms of divine bliss. Those who enjoy the Supreme Eternal are alone the true enjoyers, the true aspirants.

Poet Candidasa says:

Rasik rasik kahaye sakale rasik kehai nay, Bháviyá gańiyá bujhiyá dekhle kot́ite got́ika hay;

137 Jemati diipiká ujare adhiká bhitare anal shikhá, Pantaunge ásiya paŕaye ghuriyá maraye pákhá. Jagat juŕiyá temati ghuriyá kámánale puŕi’ mare; Rasajina̭ ye jan se karaye pán viśa cháŕi amrtere.

The aspirants of bhakti should surrender their all to their adored. Everything objective is centered inside the mind. Hence if the mind itself is surrendered to Brahma, everything automatically becomes surrendered.

Ratnákarastava grhaḿ grhinii ca padmá Deyaḿ kimapi bhavate Puruśottamáya Ábhiiravámanayanápahrtámánasáya Dattaḿ manah yadupate tvamidaḿ grhána.

Oh, Lord, the universe is Your abode, the Supreme Prakrti herself is Your consort. You have everything. Then, O Puruśottama, what will I offer to You? O yes, I remember one thing. Your true devotees have stolen away Your mind. That is why You have need of one thing. Your mind is lost O Lord, and I offer my mind to You. Do grace me by Your acceptance.

Áśárhii Púrńimá 1955 DMC, Bhagalpur

138 Movement Towards Perfection is Dharma

In this world nothing is non-causal. Everything has a cause. The fact that you have been born as a human being has also a cause and a purpose. You may not know it, but the Su- preme Being knows it.

Life is movement from imperfection to perfection. When inanimate objects become ani- mate there is progress. There is further progress when animate beings become multicellu- lar, metazoic organisms, more and more complicated structures. The imperfection of a crab is not seen in a serpent. The human being is the highest being, the most perfect in structure. The human is thus a perfected animal. But this is only the beginning of progress for the human. The human still has to achieve further physical, intellectual and spiritual perfections.

Movement towards perfection, that is, God, is dharma; while movement towards imper- fection is adharma. The former is life, the latter is death. A human being’s movement to- wards animalism is, therefore, death.

No movement is free from friction. Even when you walk, the force of gravity obstructs you. Movement towards perfection is obstructed by all the forces of imperfection. The sinful, the crude, the narrow, obstruct all movement for the expansion of a human being’s mind. But, perfection being a God-ward movement, one should not be afraid. Move on; obsta- cles will go down the drain to which they belong; you will progress.

The human being’s mission in life is movement towards perfection – towards God. This is one’s dharma, or duty. In this struggle, the forces of evil are bound to be defeated. That has been the case all along, and that will repeat itself.

You will have no right to rest until you have fulfilled your mission of being perfect, divine. Establish yourself in perfection. Resting is a sin, as it puts a stop to the movement. Do not rest till you have reached the goal.

23 May 1969 morning, Ranchi

139 Desire and Detachment

The subject of my discourse today will be: Intuitional Science as described in the Krśńa-Yajurveda.

The perceptible world is constructed with the cooperation of five fundamental elements. Ether (vyoma) is the subtlest of these five elements. Due to its extreme subtleness the vyo- matattva is able to prove its existence only through its sound-tanmátra. In order to under- stand this vyomatattva or its sound-waves or its sound-radiation, a special type of Scientific instrument is necessary. Except this vyomatattva the remaining four elements you can eas- ily make out with the help of your crude organs.

The Supreme Consciousness or Puruśa, however, is subtler than all the five elements. How can the senses apprehend this Conscious Entity, when they cannot easily catch the subtle vyomatattva? The Consciousness or Puruśa-Entity is beyond the scope of mental or supra- mental sphere, for the object of the mental or supramental sphere is matter – the five ele- ments or their semblances. That is why, you are unable to reach the Parama Puruśa or the Cosmic Consciousness with the help of your mind. Your mind will have to come back dis- appointed repeatedly, if it tries to reach Him, for He is beyond the reach of your imagina- tive power. You cannot get to Him through any common knowledge. Yama said,

Yato váco nivartante aprápya manasá saha; Ánandaḿ Brahmańo vidván na vibheti kutashcana.

The attainment of Brahma is not possible through mind, nor is it feasible through words. Frustration awaits both of them, if they are employed to attain Him. With the establishment in the Brahmic bliss, mind, intellect, words – all get lost, for He is the self-same Happiness – the bliss absolute. One has to be established in Him through the exultant force of one’s consciousness. After reaching Him, mind being non-existent, the six enemies (lust, anger, avarice, delusion, pride and envy) also cannot remain there. The sádhaka then becomes free from all fears.

Tandurdarshaugúd́hamanupraviśt́am guháhitaḿ gahvareśt́harampuráńam; Ádhyátmayogádhigamena devaḿ matvá dhiiro harśashokao jaháti.

The Supreme Consciousness is unseeable, i.e., He is not perceptible by the sight-organ. One cannot apprehend nor can one understand an extremely vast and extremely subtle thing through one’s organs. Molecules and atoms are not apprehensible to man’s organs due to their being too subtle. In order to see them or understand them one has to take the help of Scientific instruments. Similarly the Supreme Consciousness is not visible (He is, however, not invisible), that is to say, one has to take pains to “see” Him. Just as intellec- tual and scientific vision is necessary for seeing molecules and atoms, similarly spiritual vision is necessary for seeing the Supreme Brahma, i.e., He is attainable only through spiritual knowledge. Hence in order to attain Him you have got to do upavaśa, which means worship.

140 The word Gúd́ha means deep. He is deep. With superficial sentiment or thought it is im- possible for you to know Him. To know Him you have to go deep inside – you will have to be introspective. External sight will not do. The one that you see as an ordinary man by your external sight, is actually a conscious entity, if you see him with your internal sight. The one that you see to be an animal or an inanimate object by your superficial sight, is really a sentient entity, if you apply your internal sight. That is why, I say, in order to see Him, one has to go deep into the seen object. He is deep – very deep and its is due to this intrinsicality that He abides in all the entities in an immutable form. While going to see Him in this state of supreme unicity, all distinctions of superficial objects thin away into air. In reality, the first and the last word of spiritual sádhaná is to see the synthesis of many in One in a single form.

Physics is characteristically analytical. So the investigation or research on matter is carried out externally. But in the sphere of investigation and intuitive comprehension of what is characteristically unific or synthetic, there is no other alternative than to take recourse to introspection. This Puruśa Entity is inherent and permanent in all objects and so to “see” Him one has got to establish oneself in the subtlest of the subtle, deepest of the deep sphere. He abides in the innermost recess or the fundamental intellect as its Supreme Knower. He is the vital Entity of that cavity – that sense of ego, which is within you and that is why, He has been called “caverned” (guháhita). In order to know Him you will have to proceed in a straight and simple way into the inner realm, making your thought subtler and yet subtler.

When one attains intuitional knowledge, all one’s troubles and woes disappear. Do you know why? Mind is the perceiver of pleasure and pain, but Brahma is even above the su- pramental stage. In order to attain Him you have got to outstep the limit of your mind and along with it you will have to leave behind all the pleasurable and sufferable junks of your distorted mind. He is ancient – He is beyond the scope of time. To Him the spatial, tem- poral and personal reputations are of no value, for each of these is a particular manifesta- tion of the mind. You cannot possess Him through your worldly erudition or by the stamp of your degrees and diplomas for all worldly knowledge is subject to, time, space and per- son. Being spontaneous or self-manifest in spiritualism, He is not dependent on any sec- ond worldly entity. To achieve that Brahma who is the supreme goal of spirituality, one has to take recourse to spiritual sacrifice (sádhaná). Not with the eyes of others – not with the spectacles of others, you will “see” Him within you with your own “eyes”. You will move inward, not on any other vehicle but by virtue of your own inspirational propulsion. A calm and collected individual, who is a genuine spiritual aspirant, attains Brahma in this very manner and with the attainment of Brahma one goes beyond the reach of pleasure and pain – one does not have those mental distortions like pleasure and pain. He attains a state which is called the state of supreme bliss.

Etacchrutvá samparigrhyámattyah pravrhya dharmyamańumetamapya; Sa modate modaniiyaḿ hi labdhvá vivrta sadma naciketasammanye.

What is the result of learning this intuitional science from a competent preceptor? By dint of this intuitional science man learns to understand thoroughly what is temporal and what

141 is eternal. The scriptures call this power of understanding the eterno-temporal discrimina- tion (nityánitya viveka). You will accept only the eternal and shun the temporal. It is on the strength of this intuitional science that man knows what is mortal and what is immortal, i.e., who or which is liable to destruction and who or which is established in indestructi- bility. With the help of this nityánitya viveka – this discriminating judgment about mortality and immortality, man pursues the path of virtue. What is the dharma or the characteristic of the living beings? It is the endeavour to attain happiness. Why does a living being crave for happiness? For self-preservation. Why do you eat and drink? To keep yourself alive – to attain happiness. From this you very well understand this too, that to love whatever little is lasting within your present entity – whatever is its essence, is your dharma. This dharma or sádhaná teaches you to keep your subtlest self aloof from all transitory objects, as the re- sult of which your eternal self gets healthy nourishments - gets more and more developed on the path of progress. That is why, this true sádhaná of the self is defined in the scriptures as the path of nourishment (puśt́imárga). He who does not understand or recognize this true dharma or characteristic, verily regards the body as the sole factor. I don’t criticize those mentally undeveloped creatures, who regard their bodies as the summum bonum of their lives but for human beings to entertain such thoughts is nothing short of paying the mind a left-handed compliment. The funniest part of it is that such a person flouts the mind with the mind.

A display of such a perverse mentality we come across in the Cárváka philosophy. To them the transitory body is the supreme entity. The materialists are reluctant to give any impor- tance to the mind in their philosophy. Not only that, they very often even hesitate to clearly admit mind’s apperception or self-consciousness. Yet these materialists sometimes want to publicize themselves as pragmatists or behaviourists. They want to say that they will not tread the path of logic and reasoning, for in that path people “make a day of night and a night of day” – “We are simple, toiling folk. We want to pass our days in peace with food to eat and clothes to wear and behind this simple demand the supportology or prac- ticology that exists is our philosophy.” Even by making such observation they get caught in their own net.

In the practical field the utility of things is determined by the mind. The feasibility of the codes of procedure and conduct is also determined by the mind. “To live in peace with food to eat and clothes to wear” is also done for the satisfaction of mind. And above all, no matter what “ology” or “ism” is propounded, the supporting doctrine – the supportol- ogy, must depend on imaginativeness (mental sanction). Every mental disease or every spiritual disease is not Máyáváda or illusionism. Even by keeping contact between the earthy world and the human mind, spiritual philosophy can be established. Ánanda Márga is a philosophy of this type.

Some of those that are comparatively imaginative regard Kámamaya Kośa or the crude mind as the Rúh or soul. Some identify the astral minds like Atimánasa, Vijinánama̭ ya and Hirańyamaya kośas with it, but the real preceptor, possessed of the knowledge of the di- vine truth, from whom you will learn the Brahmic or intuitional knowledge, will make you understand that the soul is a lot subtler than these Kośas or shells of the mind, each of which is mutable and so evanescent or transitory - the soul alone is eternal. So the happi-

142 ness that you will get in the worship of the spiritual knowledge, will be permanent happi- ness, and that is why it is called ánanda or divine bliss. Ánanda is not to be had from tran- sitory objects. The transitory or temporal objects will come and go; sometimes they will make you laugh and sometimes they will make you cry. No matter how endearing the temporal things be, one day they will surely and undoubtedly leave you in the lurch, and abjectly beggarly. But He will not make you wail He is an eternal, non-evolutive, immuta- ble Entity. The Yama said, “O Naciketá, the broad gateway to the realm of God lies open before you. One who has acquired a thorough knowledge of mortal objects, has verily ac- quired the knowledge of the both the perishable and the imperishable ones.” With the de- velopment of mental faculties as one proceeds from the transient happiness to permanent happiness or ánanda, one gets more and more inclined towards his mental happiness in preference to the physical joy. For the love of country or many such subtle happinesses, a person makes no bones to lay down his life. These are actually the signs of preponderance of the human mind. The happiness of cats and dogs is purely physical. In such receptacles as their mental happiness cannot have the priority. Beat them and then call them to eat some delectable food, they will come running after it. But human beings are reluctant to stand the least dishonour or any little blow to their mind. A person who serves you under circumstantial pressure and keeps your mind constantly humored by his sycophancy, is actually at heart not very pleased with you. He constantly tries to escape the bondage of slavery. You cannot conquer human mind through circumstantial pressure.

Through Aśt́áunga̭ Yoga, as laid down in the Ánanda Márga, a sádhaka, conscious of his/ her body and self, can gradually awaken the dormant mental power and with the help of this developed mind he/she can eventually establish himself/herself in spiritual self. In this seity – in this characteristic self he/she gets real ánanda. So, I say, learn the intuitional knowledge from a proper preceptor. You cannot learn this through empirical knowledge. Intuitional knowledge cannot be gained from books. For this one has to go to a preceptor with devotion and reverence. Try to awaken your latent devotional sentiment. It will come to you, if you so wish. Once the devotion is awakened, you shall get divine mercy without doubt.

Mahad krpayaeva bhagavad krpáleshádvá.

–Nárada Bhaktisútra

With the attainment of only a wee bit of divine grace the ego starts disappearing from the crude human body, the Nityánitya Viveka gets awakened and this discriminating judgment establishes the sádhaka in the Brahmic Consciousness. Remember, in the path of medita- tion devotion is the paramount factor. Wherever there is devotion God’s mercy is there – it has got to be.

Physical attachments are very difficult to give up, they die hard. Preservation of the crude body and attachment to the body are not one and the same thing. But where the preserva- tion of the body is not jeopardized, or does not stand in danger, even then people are sur- prisingly attached to their physical body. At the time of an earthquake a mother runs out of the house, leaving her sleeping child in bed and then half way down when the thought of

143 her child arises in her mind, she runs back again to save her child. The quicker the mother’s remembrance of her child, the less her attraction for her own body. A mother who is above such attraction will think of her child first and take it away along with her. Through proper sádhaná alone one is able to conquer such bodily and all sorts of attach- ments. All bondages of sensuous attractions of those that have been able to awaken their subtle selves through Ánanda Márga aśtáungika sádhaná, are bound to be resolved.

Anyatra dharmádanyatrádharmadanyatrásmát krtákrtát; Anyatra bhútácca bhavyácca yattat pashyasi tadvada.

What is Supreme or Parama Brahma? How does He look like? This you cannot know through the so-called, ritualistic religion. Shráddhakriyá or post-obit ceremonies and ritu- als for the souls of the dead, shántikriyá or ceremonious propitiation of deities and evil planets, ceremonial fasts, sacrificial fire or oblation (yajina)̭ and various other social and popular extroversive, ritualistic functions and ceremonies with flowers, Bilvapatra (Aegle folia), water of the Ganges etc. – none of these can attain you Brahma, for these ceremo- nies are external and showy. How can you reach the Life of your life, the Soul of your soul with these showy and superficial paraphernalia? Three entities eventually emerge, wher- ever these rituals take place – religious ceremony, the fruit or reward of such a religious ceremony and persons who organize the religious ceremony. For the sake of crude, exter- nal, material gains the authors of these so-called religious ceremonies; perform these ritu- als. Really speaking, the word, Dharma, should not be associated with these ceremonies. Dharma is the spiritual meditation that a sádhaka does for the attainment of Saguńa Brahma, the source of Infinite Bliss. And how about Nirguńa Brahma? Although I cannot but call the effort for the attainment of Nirguńa Brahma also dharma in the popular lan- guage, yet He is actually not conformable to dharma? Then is He conformable to adharma – the negation of dharma? No. He is not that, too, He does not come under any of the two categories. Dharma and adharma are both attributive (subjectivated and objectivated sen- timents). All attributive sentiments fall within the scope of mind – fall in the net of causal- ity. Nirguńa Brahma is beyond the ambit of causality. He is above dharma and adharma. He is none of whatever had ever been created, or of whatever have been or will be cre- ated. Each of these is the objectivated manifestation of Saguńa Brahma, but in Nirguńa Brahma exists neither antecedence nor impedence, neither gain(1) nor loss(2) – nor accu- mulation either (there is no question of creation of the third as the result of the union of the two)(3). Naciketá prays to Yama, “O Lord of Death! I want to get established in the Nir- guńa Brahma, who is beyond all attributes – beyond to-be and not-to-be. Please tell me something about Him.” Yama replies,

Sarve vedá yat padamámananti tapáḿsi sarváńi ca yadvadanti; Yadicchanto Brahmacaryaincar̭ anti tatte padaḿ saḿgraheńa vraviimyomityetat.

“In every veda the position which hath been the supreme factor of contemplation, for the realization of which the ascetics take to meditation, for the attainment of which the brah- macáriis (those who remain in constant cosmic ideation) take the vow of brahmacarya (the act of a brahmacárii) – in reference to that super-exalted position, I pronounce to you the word onm̭ ́kára, which stands for it.” Tasya vácaka prańavah.

144 Really speaking, there is no word in the language like onm̭ ́kára more suitable to the ex- planation of Brahma, for the state of nirguńa is inexplicable. Although one may try to ex- plain the state of saguńa, yet there is no feasible way other than the use of onm̭ ́kára to ex- plain His initial expression – indeed there is no other choice. Onm̭ ́kára (ওঁম) as a term of expression is a wonderful unifying link between Nirguńa and Saguńa Brahma. In the writ- ten language only a dot (.) is used for Nirguńa Brahma; ওম (onm)̭ is used for the sonic manifestation of Saguńa Brahma; and the phonic sign (between the dot and the onm)̭ is symbolic of the expression which is just about to take place.

Etaddhyevákśaraḿ Brahma etadevákśaramparam Etaddhyevákśaraḿ jinátvá̭ yoyadicchati tasya tat.

This onm̭ ́kára is the first expression of the Brahmic glory and that is why, it is known as the Sound-Brahma. It occupies the topmost position, for the ultimate cause of Creation, Pres- ervation, and Destruction is inherent in its three letters, viz., অ (a) + উ (u = oo) + ম (ma). One who has known and heard this onm̭ ́kára, echoing in the vast sky as the Macro-sonic phenomenon and the mental sky as the micro-sonic one, has indeed caught the very es- sence of essences right in the palm of one’s hand. Here one should bear in mind that when onm̭ ́kára stands for sound, to know it then is to hear or pronounce it. When onm̭ ́kára is pronounced or sounded in the Brahmic Mind itself, it is then meaningless for the sádhaka to pronounce it during his meditation of onm̭ ́kára. The sádhaná of onm̭ ́kára means the endeavour to hear that sound.

That is why, in Ánanda Márga onm̭ ́kára is not a mantra (an incantation of invocation) for chanting but for hearing. Hearing or surrendering to this onm̭ ́kára, which is the direct con- comitant of the Brahmic nucleus, the Puruśottama, is to attain Him, and attaining Him means there is nothing else to be desired. Collectively or individually He is everything. Nothing is outside Him. He who seeks Him is really wise, for attaining Him means attain- ing all.

Incidentally there is a beautiful story in the Rámáyańa. Once Ráma and Lakśmańa were sailing in a boat towards Mithila across the Ganges. So far as the story goes, the boat turned into gold with touch of Rama’s feet. When the boat reached the other end of the bank, the wife of the boatman came to know about this miracle. Down she brought all the woods and timbers from the house and started turning them into gold by bringing them into contact with Ráma’s feet. Noticing the foolishness of his wife the boatman counselled her, “Look here, how long are you going to toil like this? Act wisely. Take refuge under those feet, which have such miraculous power. If you do so, you will be able to turn any worldly object into gold at will.”

Taking His refuge means merging one’s egotistic vanity in Him. The attainment of Brahma is difficult for those who want to work out the profit and loss of “what shall I get out of this attainment.” If a person, while trying to surrender him/her self to Him, is conscious of his/ her petty ego’s profit and loss, then how can he/she dedicate his/her petty ego to Him? His worm-eaten mental flower shall not be worthy for worshipping the Lord. Entertaining no

145 desire for sensuous happiness a man has to surrender oneself to the waves of the inscruta- ble Supreme Fountain-head, Brahma. This total dedication – this self-surrender – is the sentiment of Shrii Rádhá (the personified Love Sublime), her sole world.

“Gopiigań kare yabe krśńa-darshan; Sukha-váincá̭ náhi sukh páy kot́ii guń. Gopii darshane Krśńer ye ánanda hay; Tadapekśá kotii guń gopii ásvádaya.”

–Caetanya Caritámrta

[Endless joy unsought-for lies When Krśńa’s sight fills Gopi’s eyes. The sight of milkmaids, Krśńa’s joy, Multifold more do they enjoy.]

A selfless devotee, bathed in the purity of devotion, wants nothing for himself. He wants only Parama Puruśa in exchange of his own self. At the time of merger as he identifies himself with Him, he tastes of the boundless bliss. The pleasant waves of sensation taking place in the psychic body of the Supreme Entity on getting back His devotee in His own state of Consciousness, are a lot more in evidence in that of the self-immolating sádhaka.

Etadálambanaḿ shreśt́hametadálambanamparam Etadálambanaḿ jinátvá̭ Brahmaloke mahiiyate.

The foremost pivot of a living being is this onm̭ ́kára. This onm̭ ́kára – this super-exalted state of the microcosm – is verily the Brahma Himself. The one who has realized or held on to this prop, get gloriously installed in Brahmic sphere. This Onm̭ ́kára-Brahma is an aseity. In no circumstances can He be lost.

Na jayate mriyate vá vipashcinnáyaḿ kutashcinna vabhúva kashcit; Ajo nityah sháshvat́oyaḿ puráńo na hanyate hanyamáne shariire.

This Onm̭ ́kára-Brahma is not subject to birth or death. His existence is beyond the pre- cincts of life and death. How is birth possible of an entity, who is supra-temporal? When will He take birth? Aren’t place and person necessary for a life to be born? That which is the Absolute Truth, can never be subject to time, space or person. That is why, the soul is free from birth and death. Death occurs to relative entities, not to consciousness. No birth is possible for the one, which is immutable, i.e., which has no second existence, and such an impeccable entity cannot be anything but the soul. The natural tendencies of worldly objects are: The death of one brings about the birth of another, the renunciation of one form begets the formation of another, the loss of one means the gain of another. In this endless process of building and re-building of the successive order the one that remains, we call, new or the new-born. We cannot call Brahma new, for He is not the effect of any previous cause. Through this process of building and re-building the whimsical hand of time has not been able to touch Him, for He is birthless, eternal and sempiternal aeon.

146 Through the destruction of this physical body, i.e., through its metamorphosis He is neither destroyed, nor gets transformed.

Hantá cenmanyate hantuḿ hatashcenmanyate hatam Ubhao tao vijániito náyaḿ hanti na hanyate.

When a murderer strikes to kill, he does not know or understand that he has no power to murder anybody. The doomed, dying man also thinks, as though he is just about to die. But both of them are wrong. Actually no one kills anyone nor anyone dies.

Ańorańiiyánmahato mahiiyánátmásya jantornihito guháyám; Tamakratuh pashyati biitashoko dhátuprasádánmahimánamátmanah.

This Átmá, or Soul, which is indestructible – which is immortal – is smaller than the mole- cule or atom, smaller than the small ultra-microscopic. Due to its smallness you cannot feel it with your sensory power. In the language of science, if you take molecule as the English equivalent of Ańu, you will find a series of other things, even smaller than the atom, like proton, neutron, electron, etc., which are too subtle for your senses to grasp. Apprehension is possible only through the power of imagination. If you further try to ana- lyse them, your imagination will stop functioning or will be compelled to get engrossed in a deep reverie. On the last Phálguńii Púrńimá (the full-moon of the month of Phalguna) I told you that the apprehending capacity of your organs for the small and the big things was limited. The organ concerned can apprehend only a particular wave-length, i.e., from one particular point of movement to another particular point, neither more nor less. Just as the soul is the molecule of the molecule on one hand, similarly it is greater than the great on the other. This being ultrasensual, you cannot apprehend it as it is. Just as you cannot see things properly in a dim light, similarly a blazing light dazzles your vision and you cannot see either. The soul abides in your mental horizon as the knower of your world of imagination and as the certifying witness or your existence. If you direct your sentimental entity towards Its great sentiment, then your emotion or thought, being on the higher plane, loses its pettiness. Your existence then is hardly distinguishable from It. If you direct your sentimental entity towards Its micro-atomic sentiment, then also your mind goes out of action. If you cherish the sentiment of attaining Him, you will have to be devoid of all sensuous desires by carefully and deftly bringing under control the selfish, individualistic frivolities of your mind. In such an event you attraction for the finite objects will disappear. You will bask in the sunshine of Macrocosmic favour. Your mind will then be installed in the super-celestial region of abiding tranquillity beyond the pale of weal or woe. Then alone you will be free from grief – then alone you will realize that Grand Glorious Brahma.

Ásiino dúraḿ vrajati shayáno yáti sarvatah; Kastammadámadandevaḿ madanyo jinátumarhati.̭

He remains covert in your existential “I”-feeling. But does He really remain at one place? In your mind you go out to London or America in a jiffy. But who actually goes there? Your objective mind of course – the mind, which is His object. Along with the mental travel to and fro, His knowership also remains, does it not? Now you understand that, inwardly and

147 on His own, He goes on traversing distant and yet more distant countries. When the mind sleeps i.e., when the organs are inactive and all epithymetic actions (desires) are also at a standstill, He is supposed to be asleep also in the mind, isn’t He? Well, does He have any movement? Yes, of course He has His movements. He is the Omneity – the all knowing seed. Even without an object He maintains His Supreme Existence. So you see, you cannot bind him with a single strand of quality. He imbibes different contrary attributes. Your mind, however, cannot have two contrary qualities like the refulgence of pleasure and the shadow of pain simultaneously. His mind being free from any singular bondage. He alone has been able to become the ultimate refuge of all kinds of contradictory objects. He is the wonderful conglomeration of pride and non-pride. The Yama said, “None but I can attain Him”. Yama means controller. The Yama is the prototype of restraint. Really speaking, without “Yama” or regulated sádhaná it is impossible to attain Him. Átma or Soul is not attainable by one devoid of control. You will certainly realize the significance of this ob- servation after you have pursued the path of sádhaná for some time. But then I have al- ready told you many a time and I repeat again that restraint does not mean running away, giving up everything. Adequate and proper use of everything is what is called restraint. You can honour adequately every obligation of domestic life but you must never lose your head. When the animal instinct of hunger is there, you must eat but you must not invite a disease by taking excessive food out of greed.

Ashriiraḿ shariireśvanavastheśvavasthitam; Mahántaḿ vibhumátmánaḿ matvá dhiiro na shocati.

Brahma, Who has within Him the countless number of contradictory attributes, is an in- corporeal entity due to His limitlessness. He has neither a body nor a receptacle. It just cannot be nor is there any need for it. But how about these countless fragmentary manifes- tations which do have their bodies and yet they are His manifestations and are all within Him? Yes, that is the reason why He is the possessor of countless bodies, being bodiless Himself. The spiritual entity is not subject to any time, place or person, but the finite unit entities are their cooperative creations. He, being beyond their purview, i.e., outside the scope of mind, is absolutely free from all sorts of mental modifications of pleasure and pain. So one who identifies oneself with Him after attaining Him, becomes free from all sorts of pain. His mind gets stilled. He merges in the Macrocosmic Consciousness.

Rúpátiita soi Prabhu lákhrúp dekhála, Ava ham kekará heri.

–Ánandamúrti

[Have seen Thy countless forms, O Formless One! Now tell us, O Lord, what’s there to be seen and won.]

Now take His endless forms. Haven’t they got any utility? For the benefit and salvation of human beings, He has been teaching Him through the media of limitless forms. So the ex- istence of every created thing in this world has its value – has its mundane as well as spiritual utility. None is useless – none is a burden on the world. Knowingly or unknow- ingly all are working together as one beautiful team and one mind for the collective good

148 of all. All are beaming in their self-surging glory. The giver knows the efficacy of charity, since the receiver is there. The advanced person is getting an opportunity to serve, since the backward man is there. He has evolved so many forms as per necessity. In each of these forms we see the different contours of His love, get scope for learning many things and are getting impetus to move towards Him. His radiance is being refracted through the veins and venules, molecules and atoms of every evolved object. Treating every micro- cosmic tendency as His own object for the good of the world, He has been afflicting Him- self day in and day out with the painful affliction of their lives – suffering for them, and His diverse, manifested organisms are bowing down in reverence to His glory. All the loquac- ity of these ignorant beings is getting silenced before His exalted greatness. What a non- sádhaka regards as his or her wealth, son, husband etc., are in the eyes of a sádhaka, but the waves or the brilliant, activated expressions of the Cosmic Sea, wherein the sádhaka feels himself/herself consciously installed. He knows that the very Sea, in which or on whose breast those expressions are waking up and dozing off, is to him the Truth itself – has been making the beauty of his soul more charming every moment by encompassing him form all the ten directions. In that Sea of Love he has fearlessly laid afloat the heavy onus of his own entity.

Náyamátmá pravacanena labhyo na medhayá na bahuná shrutena; Yamevaeśa vrnute tena labhyastasyaeśa átmá vivrńute tanúḿ svám.

The Supreme dharma – the paramount act of merging one’s self in the Absolute Entity in full realization of Its charm – will not be accomplished by mere listening to religious dis- sertations. You must have noticed, there are many people in our society that constantly keep track of great men and run up to them soliciting, “Give us some advice. Tell us something about religion.” Such religious discourses will cut no ice, if not substantiated by sádhaná. It is wrong to think that Parama Puruśa is realizable by man through empirical knowledge or through study of a few dozens of philosophical books, rather, there is a greater possibility of one’s receding from the path of spirituality. In such a case vanity be- comes the chief characteristic of his nature. Brahma or the Supreme Entity cannot be at- tained through tall religious overtures to the human society nor through interesting reca- pitulations before it as to which and which great man said such and such things – as to how they walked, or through writing volumes of books. Do not entertain such silly ideas that you can hit the bull’s eye so cheaply by dint of your intellect, for you shall not achieve Him through such shady means. To attain Brahma you shall have to do sádhaná or spiri- tual meditation. You should make Him the only goal of your life. For this you require integ- rity, devotion and singular and earnest love for Him. He is not attainable without rever- ence and unflagging and unflinching devotion. When the devotional depth will come, love, too, will be out-brimming with high sentiments - will be full and over-flowing. When love will reach its completeness – its saturation point, self-immolation will become easy and simple. In that state alone will come your final realization of the Supreme Conscious- ness. Where “I” is, “He” is not; where “He” is, “I” is not. Remember, devotion is the pre- requisite of sádhaná. Maturity of devotion is love and maturity of love is He.

Sa iishvara anirvacaniiya parama premasvarúpa.

149 Only whole-hearted love can bind Him. When you will be able to do so, you will see, what you have in bondage is the Love Divine.

Paripúrńa Krśńaprápti sei prema haete; Sei preme bándhá̭ Krśńa kahe Bhágavate.

–Krśńadása Kavirája

[To Love sincere Lord Krśńa clings Bound to love, so Bhágavata(4) sings Krśńa realized through such a love For Love is Krśńa, Krśńa, Love.]

Návirato dushcaritánnánnáshánto násamáhitah; Náshántamánaso vápi prajinánenaenamápnuyát.̭

Sensuous intellect is an inert intellect. Sensuous movements are efferent. So the intellect of the sensuous man is wasted over external objects. The human mind that has in it an unbri- dled desire for mundane pleasure is never at peace. In such a state no one can attain Brahma. When the mind preoccupied with finite objects, can one get the integrated whole? When your longing is towards the crude, you will undoubtedly become crudified yourself. Your mind will leap from one crude desire to another - will run form one object after another in a wild pursuit. Such is the way of the materialistic, isn’t it? But an aspirant, being in the midst of all and making the right use of everything, proceeds towards the su- preme goal. Learn the Intuitional Science from the competent preceptor and proceed ac- cordingly.

Yasya Brahma ca kśatrainca̭ ubhe bhavata odanam; Mrtyuryasyopasecanaḿ ka itthá veda yatra sah.

Nirguńa Brahma (or the Supreme, unsubjectivated Pure Consciousness) is your supreme goal. Even Saguńa Brahma (the Subjectivated Transcendentality) is devoured by Nirguńa. The Brahma-sádhaka knows that Saguńa Brahma, who is a composite of Cognitive Faculty and Operative Principle – a combination of introversive consciousness and extroversive force – eventually turns into food for the Nirguńa Brahma. That is to say, with His death all His feelings and emotions also disappear and so death serves as ghee (clarified butter) for the ultimate food of the Nirguńa. Just as flour alone does not make a good food by itself and it requires ghee to make eatable, similarly the ghee-like death makes the Consciousness-cum-principle like food delectable and palatable to the Nirguńa Brahma. So I say that this death too is a benevolent system. When the overall sentiment (the sub- jectivated and objectivated state) of Saguńa Brahma merges in the Nirguńa Brahma, that is to say, when a sádhaka attains salvation, soleness or absolute identity with the Divine Es- sence, i.e., final liberation, all the onus of his ego lightens. Prakrti, the xylem or the root or plastic cause of creation, can no more throw him into the pit of pleasure and pain. So in order to attain Him – whom you cannot attain through empirical or worldly knowledge

150 anyhow – get busy and be up and doing from this very moment and get proper guidance from a proper preceptor.

Ánanda Púrńimá 1956 DMC

Footnotes

(1) Sainca̭ ya in Sanskrit.

(2) Apacaya in Sanskrit.

(3) Upacaya in Sanskrit.

(4) Scriptures of the Vaeśńava sect.

151 The Lord’s Feet

Tripurásura, the father of Gayásura, was a great devotee of Lord Viśńu [a mythological god]. Many devotees of Lord Shiva [a great yogi worshipped as the Lord] wanted him to become a devotee of Shiva instead. But how could Tripurasura go against his Iśt́a [beloved goal of life]? “Though I know that there is no difference between Viśńu and Shiva, for me everything is Lord Viśńu, for He is my Iśt́a. ”

But the devotees of Lord Shiva still put pressure on Tripurásura, in order to see him also become a devotee of Shiva. His conversion might have been possible if the worshippers of Shiva had made a logical appeal to Tripurásura’s understanding that there is actually no difference between Lord Shiva and Lord Viśńu, and that both are only the functional counterparts of Parama Puruśa. But under the pressure put on him by the devotees of Lord Shiva, Tripurásura initiated a crusade against all the devotees of Lord Shiva, until he finally came upon Shiva Himself. But however powerful Tripurásura was, how could he fight against Lord Shiva? He was defeated by Lord Shiva and met his death.

After the death of Tripurásura, his son, Gayásura, became the king. He, too, was a devotee of Lord Viśńu. He worshipped Him with all his heart and devotion, and finally succeeded in attaining a boon of immortality: not to be killed by man, demon or god, in earth, heaven or hell, by day, night, evening or morning. Endowed with such a great power, Gayásura went all over the world conquering people, torturing them and making their lives miserable. None were spared – not even the devotees of Viśńu or Shiva.

But as the saying goes, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Gayásura, who had received his power from Lord Viśńu, thought to defeat the Lord Him- self. Is not the tamboura [a musical instrument used by Shiva] a fool if it thinks that the persons bowing before the Lord are, in fact, paying respect to it? Gayásura started thinking that the great power he possessed was actually his power. He finally challenged Lord Viśńu, and since Viśńu Himself had granted the boon, how could it fail? Viśńu was de- feated by Gayásura. Gayásura bound Viśńu to a tree and then went all over the world with a very bloated ego.

When things had become intolerable for the people, they approached Lord Viśńu, still tied to the tree, and recounted their miseries, requesting Him to do something. Viśńu pleaded helplessness, as He Himself was in a precarious condition! Then the devotees reminded the Lord that He had given the boon of immortality to Gayásura in the physical realm only. The devotees urged Lord Viśńu to use His psychic and spiritual power to defeat Gayásura, and relieve the people of their miseries. Lord Viśńu assured them that He would do some- thing in the matter.

When Gayásura returned to Lord Viśńu to offer his prayers, Viśńu said, “Gayásura! I once gave you what you asked, and you have defeated me. You should now give me a boon.” Gayásura readily agreed to it. Viśńu then asked that Gayásura be turned into stone. Gayásura had no alternative but to say, “So be it.”

152 Gradually Gayásura’s legs started turning to stone. When he was stone up to his waist, he said, “Wait! I have three conditions!” His first condition was that the Lord put His two feet in Gayásura’s heart. The Lord agreed to it, but asked the reason for such a condition.

Gayásura said, “So that people should know that the feet of the Lord are always in the heart of a devotee, good or bad.”

The second condition was that all those who had the Lord’s feet in their hearts would surely get liberation. The Lord agreed to this also.

The third and last condition of the almost petrified Gayásura was, “If even a single person having the Lord’s feet in his heart fails to get liberation, then this petrified Gayásura will again become a living Gayásura.” Lord Viśńu agreed to it. Very soon Gayásura was turned completely into stone.

This story, from one of the Puráńas [ancient scriptures], has the following three lessons for humanity. First, the Lord will seat Himself in the heart of the devotee without bothering Himself about the nature of that person, good, or bad. It is enough to be a devotee, in or- der to have the Lord inside. Second, all those who have the Lord’s feet in their hearts are bound to get liberation – liberation is a sure guarantee for them. Third, since Gayásura had been turned to stone by the Lord, and since He would again arise if anyone having the Lord inside failed to be liberated, the Lord would have to grant liberation to all such per- sons for all time to come; it is a matter of the Lord’s prestige!

Date unknown

153 Stages of Samádhi

Virtue and vice are temporal entities. These things have nothing to do so far as a person’s relationship with the Supreme Father is concerned.

Suppose several boys are moving along a particular road and one particular boy falls into the drain. His dress, his body, become dirty; other people, passers-by, will laugh at him, but when the boy’s father sees his boy in that condition, what is he to do? Will he laugh at his own son? No, no, no. What will he do? He himself will go there, into the drain, and take his boy in his own lap, and clean his dress, clean his clothes, clean his body; and af- ter that he will say, “My boy, you should walk carefully.”

Sinning persons are just like those boys in the drain. Now, high or low, upgraded or de- graded, all are equal, all are equal for Him, because heaven is His creation, and hell is His creation. If we say that He is only in heaven, it will not be a correct utterance, because He is in hell also. His sons, His daughters, are never alone. He is with you even in hell.

What are you to do? You are always to remember that you are the child of a Great Father. You must not think that you are a sinner, you are a degraded person. If you think that you are a sinner, it means you are meditating on sin! And when sin has become your object of meditation, actually you will become a sinner, because a person becomes just like his or her object of ideation, object of meditation. If you always meditate on sin, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner,” actually you will become a sinner. The psychological approach is, you should forget it – even if you are actually a sinner, you should think, “I am the son of a Great Father, I am the son of a Great Father, I am the son of a Great Father.” And thus you are meditating on the Great Father, and a day is sure to come when you will become one with your Great Father. But to think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner, oh Father, save me, oh Father, save me,” is a defective approach! You should say, “I am your son, I am your daughter, oh Father, take me on your lap, I am your son, I am your daughter.” This will be the approach. You should forget what you do not want.

Now in the phase of creation, the first point of creation is called Shambhúliunga.̭ Liunga̭ means “the point, the supreme point, the terminus of all expressions, all movements”. And that terminus is a singular entity. In the phase of extrovert, it is the starting-point, and in the phase of introvert, it is the culminating point. It is the Supreme Desideratum.

At this starting-point, wherefrom the first expression takes place in the first phase of crea- tion, what happens? In that triangle of forces, triangle of principles, sentient, mutative and static, what happens due to their intertransmutation? All of a sudden the triangle becomes unbalanced, and the released resultant force comes out from one of the vertices of the triangle. There are three vertices, and it comes out from one of the vertices. And the point from which this extroversial force comes out is called Shambhú. In the phase of extrovert, in the phase of creation, it is Shambhú; and in the phase of introvert also it is Shambhú. In the phase of creation it is the starting point, it is the fundamental positivity. It is the funda-

154 mental positivity because in it lies the seed of all creation. And in the phase of introvert, it is the Supreme Desideratum, because here in this point all the aspirations, all the hopes, all the desires, of all living beings terminate.

Similarly, in the unit structure, in each and every unit structure, there is a starting-point, a microscopic expression of Shambhú in the entire Macrocosm. That is, in the entire Cos- mological order there is a Shambhú point, the starting-point, and similarly, in the unit ex- pression, in the microcosm, there is Shambhú in miniature form, in microcosmic form, controlling the microcosm. And it is this point [crown of the head], the controlling point of the pineal gland. It is the site of Parama Puruśa, Paramashiva. And in the phase of creation, while Shambhú is the starting-point, the last point of creation, the crudest point, is called Svayambhú.

Shambhú and Svayambhú. In Sanskrit, sham means “to control”, and bhú means [“cre- ated”]. So shambhú means “the controller, self-created controller”. And Svayambhú – svayam means “self”, [so svayambhú means] “self-created”. But it is not the controller, be- cause it is the crudest point. It is the last point, the crudest point.

Now, wherever there is any expression or wherever there is no expression, the Witnessing Entity is there, just like the light of a stage, a theatrical stage. When there is an actor, the light is there, witnessing the activities of the actor. The actor says something, recites something, and the light of the stage witnesses the activities of that particular actor. And when a singer comes, that light witnesses the activities of the singer. A dancer comes, and that very light witnesses the activities of the dancer. And when nobody is present – no ac- tor, no dancer, no singer – the light, that very light, witnesses that “Nobody is present here now.” It expresses the fact before the audience, before the spectators, that there is nobody on the stage. Similarly, where there is expression, that Cosmic Light, that Cosmic Father, is there. And where there is no expression, the Father is there to say that nobody is present now – just like that light of the theatrical stage.

Now in the case of Shambhúliunga,̭ the fundamental positivity from where the creation starts, the Supreme Entity is there. And where the creation terminates, the last point, the crudest point, the Svayambhúliunga̭ – the Witnessing Entity is there also, the Supreme Fa- ther is there also. Now in [Shambhúliunga],̭ the human entity, the entity of a living being, is in subtlest form, is in purest form, is in unadulterated form. And in Svayambhúliunga,̭ in the lowest point, in the lowest bone, of your body, the created being, the living being, is in crudest form. Because of that crudest expression, the living being will also be in crudest form. That is, all one’s divinity, one’s divinity in its entirety, is sleeping there, is in latent form there, in the last bone of the body. That sleeping divinity – actually it is divinity, but it is sleeping – is called kulakuńd́alinii in Sanskrit, “coiled serpentine” in English. “Coiled serpentine”. It is just like a serpentine loop.

Now, by dint of sádhaná – what is sádhaná? Whenever a sádhaka gets his or her own pe- culiar incantation from his ácárya, his or her own mantra to be practiced, that sleeping divinity, kulakuńd́alinii, is aroused by the vibration of that mantra. And by dint of the per- son’s constant practice, regular practice, what happens? It moves that serpentine loop up-

155 ward. Its original residence is in the Múládhára Cakra, the lowermost cakra. Now when the sádhaka by dint of his or her sádhaná, intuitional practice, exalts that kulakuńd́alinii, and when the kulakuńd́alinii crosses the Svádhiśt́hána Cakra, the next higher cakra, the sádhaka’s feeling, his or her expression, his or her status, is known as sálokya. It is the first stage of samádhi. A sádhaka by constant practice is sure to attain that status. But you know, the yogis say that a sádhaka cannot attain that status without the special favour of the spiritual guru. This is what they say. That stage is called sálokya.

Sálokya means that the sádhaka feels that in the stratum, or sphere, where he or she is, where that person’s exalted mind is, he or she is not alone; the Supreme Father is also there. This samádhi, where the feeling is that in the stratum, or status, where the person is, that person’s Supreme Father is also there, gives the person very much pleasure. This first pleasure is called sálokya samádhi.

Then when this coiled serpentine, sleeping divinity, crosses the Mańipura Cakra, just near the hub, the controlling point, of the pancreas, the person enjoys another sort of pleasure, and that pleasure is called sámiipya samádhi. Sámiipya is a Sanskrit word. It means “proximity”. That is, the sádhaka feels his or her proximity to the Supreme Father.

In the first stage, the sádhaka felt that the Supreme Father was there in the same status. He is not in the sky, he is everywhere, He is with you. If you are here and He is in the sky, then you are alone here, and He is also alone there. No, no, no, no. In the first phase the feeling was that “Where I am, He is also with me.” And in the second phase, “I have come very close, very near, that Supreme Father; I am in close proximity to the Supreme Pro- genitor. By dint of my sádhaná, the gap between my Father and myself is being bridged.” It is the second phase, known as sámiipya. Sámiipya means “proximity”.

Then when that sleeping divinity, that kulakuńd́alinii, crosses the Anáhata Cakra, this plexus, this “solar plexus” (in Latin), the sádhaka’s feelings are known as sáyujya. Sáyujya means “in close contact”. In Sanskrit sáyujya means “close contact, just side by side, just touching”. In sálokya He is with you. In sámiipya you feel the proximity, the nearness. And here in sáyujya what do you feel? A tactual experience. You get a tactual experience.

Then when by dint of your sádhaná the divinity, the sleeping divinity, the kulakuńd́alinii, crosses this point [the throat], one will experience another sort of sádhaná, a subtler sá- dhaná, subtler samádhi. And that one is called sárúpya. In sárúpya the feeling is “I am one with Him.” “I am one with Him” – not close contact, but oneness. “I am one with the Su- preme Progenitor, I am one with the Supreme Cognition.” This is sárupya.

Then by still more sádhaná, when the sleeping divinity crosses this point [between the eyebrows], the controlling point of the pituitary gland, the ájiná̭ cakra, the sádhaka’s feel- ings, or experiences – another sort of sádhaná, still more high – are known as sárśt́hi in Sanskrit. At that point, the feeling is that “I am He;” that is, “I” and “He”, these two enti- ties, have become one. “I am;” but “He” and “I” have coincided.

“I” – “He”. There is one gap. “I am the Supreme Entity, I am the Supreme Entity.” There is still the connecting link “am”. But when “I” and “Supreme Entity” coincide, the gap “am”

156 disappears. “I”, “Supreme Entity”, and the connecting link “am”. When this will coincide with this, the connecting “am” will disappear, because there is no gap. “I” becomes one with “He”. Clear? Or “He” becomes one with “I”. This stage is called sárśt́hi.

And the last stage is when that kulakuńd́alinii comes here [crown of the head]. I said that in the unit structure, Shambhúliunga,̭ Parama Puruśa, is here, at the controlling point of the pineal gland. The divinity, the sleeping divinity, is to be exalted to that point, to the controlling point of the pineal gland. And there is the final stage of samádhi. That final stage of samádhi is called Nirvikalpa Samádhi in yoga, and Kaevalya in Tantra. In Sanskrit kaevalya means “only”. Kevala means “only”, and the noun of kevala is kaevalya.

That is, only one entity exists. That entity may be I, that entity may be He. But the differen- tiation between “I” and “He” disappears. So “I exist” and “He exists” – these two ideas disappear: “exists”. That is, it is the stage of non-attributional consciousness. It is the su- preme stage of yogic sádhaná. It is the supreme stance for a yogi.

Now by dint of sádhaná, one is to arouse and exalt that sleeping divinity. That Svayambhúliunga̭ becomes one with Shambhúliunga.̭

But for this one requires divine help. And I know one is sure to get divine help. And I know further that one is getting divine help. And I know still further that in future, for infi- nite time and infinite space, one will be getting this divine favour. And you are all sá- dhakas. You will certainly attain that supreme stance and enjoy that divine blessedness. You are sure to enjoy it, my sons and my daughters.

22 April 1969, Manila

157 Self-Transcendence

To a person of average intelligence, water and ice are two different entities, but one who knows a little of the truth knows that ice is only a crudified form of water. Similarly, where the average person sees a big difference between a pot and the potter, the knower of Brahma sees only oneness between them. Are the world and Brahma two different entities, or are they indivisible? Is the one true, and the other false? Is the difference that appears between the two the truth, or illusion? Such questions or ways of thinking never arise in the mind of a person with cosmic outlook.

Whether the world and Brahma are two entities, or the one is not different from the other – such thoughts are wrong in themselves. The knower of Brahma feels that the world is in- deed His own manifestation; he knows that all is He. Do you know how that difference looks from the cosmic perspective? Not any bigger than the difference between “person” and “human being”, between “sea” and “ocean”. From a sádhaka’s [spiritual aspirant’s] standpoint the distinction does not exist.

Brahma is the lord of the evolved objects; He is the controller of every one of them. This very Lord moves in the womb as the [foetus] and when it is born, the event, in fact, should be called the birth of Brahma, because all creations are but manifestations of Brahma Himself.

There is one moon, but its reflections, falling in countless puddles of water, appear as countless moons. No new moon is born. The same moon is being reflected or is taking birth in many receptacles. Similarly the one and the same Brahma is being manifested as limitless unit entities in countless mental receptacles.

The union of a sádhaka with Brahma has been expressed in an excellent [metaphor]. A river gives up its name and identity and completely merges in the sea; thereafter it cannot maintain its own existence, it is the sea. Similarly, a sádhaka, after merging himself or her- self in Brahma, can no longer think of himself or herself except as Brahma. Seeing the Ganges River we can tell that it is the water of the Ganges. We can tell the water of the Yamuna River, or the water of the Sarasvati River. But once they merge in the sea, we can- not separate them, nor can we distinguish the one from the other. They all have lost their respective name-entities in the entity of the sea.

When a knower of Truth merges in the Supreme Being, his or her petty sense of existence is lost, and, attaining unity with the Supreme Entity, the person becomes supreme himself or herself. Spiritual practice is the means for the expansion of the soul, not for its annihila- tion; so samádhi does not mean suicide but self-transcendence. One who has known Brahma becomes Brahma Itself, for the unit entity takes on the very form of its object of ideation. One who has Brahma as his or her object of ideation becomes Brahma Itself.

If a salt doll goes to fathom the sea, it will certainly melt and become the sea itself. Simi- larly, if the knower of Brahma goes to fathom Brahma, he or she merges in the sea of

158 Brahma and becomes Brahma Itself. Be constantly absorbed in the thought of Brahma and you too will become Brahma.

1971 or earlier

159 Niiti and Dharma

The subject of today’s discourse is “Niiti and Dharma.”

Niiti

What is niiti? Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti. The word niiti has been derived from the root verb nii and the suffix ktin. It means “that which has the capability to lead”. But “to lead” to where?

The definition is Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti. Nayana means “to lead” – as for in- stance the organ of the body which leads people toward external objects [the eye] is called nayana – and niiti is that which leads a unit being towards kśema.

And what is kśema?

There are a number of words that seem to have the same meaning as kśema. But there is some subtle difference among the various words. For instance, there is a word hita whose colloquial meaning is “good”, but which actually means the desire for physical, mental and spiritual progress. But since no real progress is feasible in either the physical or the intellectual realm, the word hita has no meaning. Another word is shubha. It is used for progress in the intellectual and spiritual realms, but since there cannot be any progress in the intellectual realm, this term also becomes meaningless. And as regards spiritual pro- gress, there are two words, kalyáńa and kśema. Kalyáńámastu means “Let there be spiri- tual progress” – and kśema means the same as kalyáńa.

So, Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe niiti – that is, “That which leads you in a particular direc- tion for your kśema is called niiti.” That which teaches you how to thieve, how to rob, and how to take bribes, is not niiti, for there is no intention of kśema there. This is the defini- tion of niiti as in the scriptures.

In common speech niiti means simply “that which leads”, or “the entity which possesses the capability of leading”. So in common speech we can use terms such as kuniiti, durni- iti, suniiti, satniiti, rańaniiti, etc. But in a spiritual [context] the words suniiti [niiti condu- cive to welfare] and kuniiti [niiti conducive to harm] cannot be used, since the word niiti means only Kśemárthe nayanam ityarthe; that is to say, since niiti [is automatically condu- cive to welfare and] can never be harmful.

The word “morality” is generally used as the English synonym for niiti (niiti as scripturally defined). Morality is that effort or idea which keeps a person away from sin – sin being that which is not prescribed in the Bible. Niiti is different from morality. There is no exact synonym for niiti.

160 Pápa and Puńya

Another thing to bear in mind is that “sin” in the English language is not the pápa of San- skrit. As already said, “sin” means to go against that prescribed in the Bible. But pápa is explained in the phrase Paropakárah puńyáya pápáya parapiid́anam – that is, “Any action by one individual which leads to the development of others is puńya [virtuous deeds], and any action which does the opposite is pápa.” Bhagaván Shankaracharya has said,

Tyaja durjanasaḿsargaḿ bhaja sádhusamágamam; Kuru puńyamahorátraḿ smara nityamanityatám.

[Avoid association with the wicked and associate with the virtuous. Do good twenty-four hours a day, and remember the eternal.]

Tyaja durjanasaḿsargam – avoid association with the durjana (wicked). Who are durjana? Those who bring about the spiritual degeneration of others are durjana. But durjana is also a relative term. A particular individual may be wicked for one person (i.e., the cause of that person’s degeneration), yet may not be wicked for another person.

In a unit there are both righteousness and unrighteousness. Suppose that in one person the righteousness is twenty percent and the unrighteousness is fifteen percent – the resultant five percent will be righteousness. But if in another person the righteousness be ten per- cent and the unrighteousness two percent, then the resultant eight percent will be that per- son’s righteousness – which means that that person turns out to be a greater moralist, though he or she is possessed of only ten percent righteousness. What counts is the [re- sultant quantity] of righteousness, not the righteousness in itself.

Now suppose that in Mr. X [the resultant] unrighteousness is fifteen percent, and in Mr. Y it is ten percent. If a third man possessing less than ten percent resultant righteousness comes in contact with them, he will become degenerated. But if in this man the right- eousness is twenty-five percent, he cannot become unrighteous in contact with X and Y, on the contrary he will make those two righteous. Therefore one person cannot be durjana for all other persons. A person may be durjana for those who possess less of righteousness than he or she does of unrighteousness, but the same person cannot be durjana for those who possess more of righteousness than he or she does of unrighteousness – rather the latter persons will make the former person good.

If, when making an effort to reform a person, your righteousness is not much more than the unrighteousness in that person, you should take with you a few other moralists when you go to reform the person. The collective righteousness will gain in strength, and it will have its impact on the person, and the person will be reformed. The person could be re- formed not by the influence of one good person but by that of an assemblage of good people. So, Tyaja durjanasaḿsargam ́ bhaja sádhusamágamam.

And what is the meaning of the word sádhu [in the shloka]? Really sádhu means “those by whose contact others become good”. One does not become a sádhu simply by wearing

161 saffron dress. Those who have the capability of leading others towards sádhutá [saintliness] are alone sádhus. One may be a sádhu even wearing a suit. So, “One should associate with sádhus.”

Then, Kuru puńyamahorátram – that is, “Do puńya to others all day long and all night long.” What is puńya? Paropakárah puńyáya [“Any action by one person which leads to the development of others is puńya”].

The real service is the service that you render to others for their spiritual upliftment, and that is known as viprocita sevá. But other services such as shúdrocita sevá [physical serv- ice], vaeshyocita sevá [economic service] and kśatriyocita sevá [martial service] help you in rendering viprocita sevá to others. When someone is dying of some ailment you cannot preach spiritual gospels to the person, rather you should help that person with medicines and physical services. Then when the person gets well you should teach something spiri- tual to him or her. Then the person will have been permanently benefited. Hence, Kuru puńyamahorátram.

What is the ahorátra? The ahorátra means the time stretching from one sunrise to the next. The time from one sunrise to the sunset is called a dinamána, and the time from that sun- set to the next sunrise is called a rátrimána. The dinamána combined with the rátrimána is called the ahorátra.

The European system of time measurement starts from twelve in the night, whereas the Indian system starts from sunrise. In the Indian system the date changes with the rise of the sun.

So do puńya, ahorátra – all day long and all night long. Here someone may ask how it is possible to do puńya while sleeping. Let me explain it to you.

Among all puńya karmas [virtuous actions], the best is the performance of pracára [spiri- tual propagation]. (Pracára can be done only by those who themselves are spiritual aspi- rants.) Doing sádhaná and rendering social service are also puńya karmas. But for ordinary people who work in [government] offices or in businesses (not very spiritual activities), what is the way out? Even while working in the world, they should take their worldly work to be the work of the Lord. The worldly work as well will then become a puńya karma. If they keep their minds engaged in the thought of the Supreme, they will not be able to do anything wrong. The feeling of rendering service to others will remain in their minds. And what about during sleep? Before sleeping take His name – sleep too will become a puńya karma.(1) That is why it is said, Kuru puńyamahorátram.

Then, Smara nityamanityatám. Nityam means “always” – “Remember always the transitory nature of things.” [Anityatám means “the ephemeral”, “the transitory”.] That which was in the past, is in the present and will continue to be in the future is nitya. If even one of these three aspects of time be absent, the thing is not nitya. For example, that which is in the present and will continue to be in the future, but was not in the past, is not nitya, but ani- tya. From among beginning, middle and end, if even one is not there, then that is not ni- tya. A thing which was born will die one day; that which is unborn will not die. That

162 which comes within the scope of the spatial, temporal and personal factors will alone be born and die, but that which is beyond these three and is the base of them all will neither be born nor die. And that alone is nitya.

This [physical universe] is anitya because it was born. It will die one day. That which is in the universe is anitya, and that which contains the universe is nitya. Hence this world is transitory. It was born one day and it will surely die.

A person who keeps this always in mind, [using] the discerning nityánitya faculty [nityán- itya viveka], will not commit any wrong deed. Since the time of yore sádhakas have liked cremation grounds for their sádhaná, because the final end of the human body is most vividly manifested there. So one will tend not to perform any work improperly, and one’s mind will not be attached to crudity.

Dharma

Niiti has a very close association with dharma. What is dharma? That which sustains the jiiva is dharma. And the practical side of dharma is expressed in the words Ácárańát dharmah, that is, “Dharma is the assemblage of all your conduct” – the way you eat, the way you speak, the way you perform sádhaná. If your conduct is good, dharma is with you; if your conduct is not good, dharma is not with you. And if dharma is not with you, what comes about is your sarvanásha, or sarvátmaka vinásha – that is, your physical, mental, and spiritual ruin. Now you may say that your átman cannot be ruined. That is correct, but your átman will not remain in the form of átman. It will become crudified.

In the first stage of dharma, the greatest helping factor is niiti. In other words, the function of niiti is to help dharma, to help dharmácarańa [practice of dharma]. Therefore niiti plays a vital role in the life of a sádhaka. But niiti is not the culminating point of life, it is simply a starting point. In order to enter a house one has to pass through the gate, and this pass- ing through the gate is niiti. But one has not gotten into the house simply by passing through the gate; to get in, one has to knock on the door. The entering into the house after knocking on the door is dharma sádhaná. Just to be a moralist is not enough, it only pro- vides one with a passport to enter the house. As said above, Ácárańát dharmah [“Dharma is the assemblage of all your conduct”], and the first phase of your conduct is niiti. There- fore those who are bereft of niiti cannot be dharmic, and those who are dharmic cannot go against niiti.

Now the question crops up whether niiti is a relative factor or an absolute factor. Niiti is not cent percent relative, but it is not absolute, either, because niiti does not have any di- rect relation with Paramátman – it cannot by its own force help one attain Him. Niiti is a happy blending of relative and absolute.

The final goal of dharma is Paramátman, so for a dharma sádhaka there can be no other end. Those sádhakas who think that through sádhaná they will acquire occult powers, are wrong. Or, they may attain supernatural powers, but those powers will not help them to attain Paramátman. Those powers will not satisfy human longings, because even those

163 powers are something worldly. That which we call supernatural is not really so, “super- natural” is rather loose terminology; any power or object which has come within the bondages of the world is not supernatural, but natural. Those who think that sitting in sá- dhaná they can obtain ańimá, laghimá, mahimá, prápti, prakámya, etc. [names of occult powers], are in delusion. They are simply wasting their valuable time. A devoted sádhaka never aspires for these things. Even if Paramátman comes to such a sádhaka and says, “My child, take all these powers,” the sádhaka will reply, “Paramátman, keep those powers for Yourself. I don’t need them. I want You, and You alone. I long for You and not for Your powers.”

A mother tries to coax and cajole her crying son, and offers him some toys to divert his attention, so that she can work in the kitchen. The child stops crying and forgets his mother for the time being. But if he is a bit naughty, he will again resume his effort to reach the breast of his mother. He will throw away the toys and cry for Mother only. And the mother ultimately has to come and take the child on her lap. A devoted sádhaka is like this child. He or she will say, “O Father, this world that I see all around is a plethora of toys. This world took its birth at a certain time, so it will also come to an end at some time or other. This world has not been given permanently to anybody.” If God is asked whether He has given this world-toy to anybody forever, He will not be able to answer, for He does not give things forever. He gives with the right hand and takes away with the left.

Lord Buddha has said, Konuhása kiimananda nittam pajjalite sate. This means that Paramátman has given you a rope, one end of which you are holding, and on the other end of which He has lit a fire. Sooner or later the fire will burn all of the rope and your hand as well. Hence one should not ask anything from Paramátman.

Niiti and Dharma

In niiti there is a happy blending of the relative and the absolute. So niiti is based on cer- tain mundane and supra-mundane principles. Dharma, on the other hand, is ácárańa [conduct] – Ácárańát dharmah. It is, therefore, something practical. It is a cult. It is not a theory but a desire, a will to do something.

But the question arises, what to do. As regards niiti, one can deliver some speech, say something on Yama and Niyama, and that too can be understood. But as regards dharma, one has to actually do something. So what to do and what not to do? What are people’s dos and don’ts?

In the case of niiti, indeed, there are certain dos and don’ts. In Sanskrit these dos are called vidhi, and the don’ts are called niśedha. The collection of dos and don’ts is niiti. But as regards dharma there are no don’ts, everything is do; that is, everything is a conduct which has to be performed.

For example, “Serve the patient,” “Don’t steal,” “Speak the truth,” “Don’t tell a lie” – such a combination of [observances and restrictions] is niiti. Dharma, on the other hand, is ácárańa, not anácárańa – that is, it is only “do this,” “do that.” “Do sádhaná for Paramá-

164 tman like this,” “Sing bhajans like this,” “Do práńáyáma like this,” “Do nyása [a kind of breath-control] like this” – there is only vidhi and no niśedha. This is the fundamental dif- ference between dharma and niiti.

So in dharma there are only dos. Now common people will naturally ask, What is it that we are to do?

Shrutayo vibhinnáh smrtayo vibhinnáh Naekamuniryasya mataḿ nábhinnam; Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyáḿ Mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh.

[The scriptures differ, the social codes differ; each sage has a different opinion. The es- sence of dharma lies deep in the mind; the realized one follows the true path.]

Shrutayo vibhinnáh – Among the different Vedas and shástras there are mutual differences. There are differences even between the mantras of the Rgveda and those of the Yajurveda. In the one it says pitrasva and in the other pitrastám. The one says sarvatomukha and the other says vishvatomukha. So the Rgveda and the Yajurveda are not identical. They have differences wide and deep. So what should common people do? Which should they ac- cept? Similar is the case with niiti. One person will say that sádhaná must be done facing the east, and another will say facing the north – will say that instead of facing the sun while meditating, one should face the polestar. Yet another person will say that sádhaná should be done facing the west [from India], that is, facing Mecca. Only poor south has not received anybody’s sanction. But really Paramátman is in all the directions. Do not all these directions belong to Paramátman? How could Paramátman be only in the east and not in the west? But niitivádiis (exponents of principles of niiti) will quarrel among them- selves. As said earlier, there is something relative in niiti.

As far as the controversy regarding the four directions is concerned, sádhakas will say,

Eśo ha deva pradisho’nu sarvá; Púrvo hi játah sa u garbhe anta. Sa eva játah sah janiśyamána; Pratyainjanam̭ ́stiśt́hate vishvatomukha.

[The Singular Entity has manifested Himself in the form of the ten directions. He has been born in the past as the offspring of different living beings, and will continue to be so born in the future. He inheres in every object and is the witnessing counterpart of those ob- jects.]

Eśo ha deva pradisho’nu sarvá – “The Singular Entity, Paramátman, has manifested Himself in the form of pradisha and anudisha.” Six of the ten directions – north, south, east, west, up, and down – are known as pradisha, and the remaining four – northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest – are known as anudisha. So this one Paramátman appears in the form of the six pradisha and the four anudisha. Which directions will you accept and which reject? If you speak in favour of the east, it means you are speaking against the west

165 – and haven’t you then gone against the Lord manifested in the form of the west? So it is very difficult to talk about this. Dharmic people will not say anything about this. They will say,

Káko nindo káko bando Dono palŕá bhárii.

[Whom should we criticize, whom should we worship? Between the two there is an even balance.]

So we see that there are differences of opinion even in the shrutis – shrutayo vibhinnáh. The smrtis also differ. What is a smrti? That which controls the worldly life of a person is called smrti, and that which controls the spiritual life of that person is called shruti. Shruti means dharmashástra (spiritual code), and smrti means samájashástra (social code). In an- cient times there were the Parashar Saḿhitá, the Nárada Saḿhitá, and the Manu Saḿhitá; and today you will find the Hindu Code. All of these are smrtishástra. Smrtishástra is more relative than shrutishástra, for society changes with the change of time. But there are dif- ferences among the shrutis also, and, Naekamuniryasya mataḿ nabhinnam – “There is no muni [saintly intellectual] who does not differ from other munis.” Some munis will say to offer pińd́á [oblations] in a particular way, and some in some other way. (But actually, not all of these people are [even] real munis. Only “those who have merged their minds” in Paramátman are real munis – Munih dugdhabálakah munih saḿliinamánasah.)

A modern person might ask whether it is really possible to merge one’s mind in this way. It is a difficult task, but since dharma consists in doing something in practical terms, one should make the effort. But with the shástras and munis differing so widely, what are common people to do?

Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám; Mahájano yena gatah sah pantháh.

[The essence of dharma is hidden in your own “I” feeling; the path pursued by practical saints is the real path.]

“The essence of dharma is hidden in the guhá.” The term guhá in Sanskrit has two mean- ings. The first is “cave”. So does the shloka mean that Paramátman is concealed in a cave in some mountain; does it mean that to realize Him one will have to leave the world and go to the wilderness? No, it would not be wise to leave the world, to leave off service to humanity, and go to the Himalayas to attain Paramátman. This world itself is Paramátman’s – where will you go if you leave it? In the world one may believe that one will be unable to concentrate their mind because of the din and bustle; but in a cave in the Himalayas, one will start thinking that one was unable to get sweet fruit in a particular jungle, and that hence tomorrow one would have to go get ripe plums in a different jungle two or three miles away. Either in the world or in the wilderness one will not necessarily be free. If Paramátman does not want you to know Him, then you will not be able to attain Him in either place; whereas if He wishes you to attain Him, you can get Him here and now. What He sees is your aspiration for Him. Remember that at every step of your life He is

166 testing you to see whether or not you have been able to arouse love for Him in your mind. He is testing you as to whether you want Him or want worldly objects.

There should be oneness in thought and speech. If there is some difference between the two, one will not be able to arouse love for Him. Suppose that in sádhaná one says that one requires only Paramátman. If then, when before the Lord, that person prays for the cure of his or her asthma, that will not serve the purpose.

The other meaning of guhá is “I am.” Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám ́ – “The essence of dharma, that is, Paramátman, is hidden in your own “I”-ness.” Is it essential for you to go to the Himalayas in search of that which is hidden in your own “I”-ness? Do you re- quire the help of a mirror to see the wristwatch on your wrist? No, and neither for Paramátman, who is hidden in your “I”-ness, do you need go to the Himalayas. Live in the world and put forth your entire self for the service of society, and then you must attain Paramátman. Paramátman is hidden in you, and He is witnessing all your activities, physi- cal or mental, and seeing whether you aspire for Him or for worldly objects. So what will sádhakas do? Mahájano yena gatah sa pantháh. The cover of “I”-ness is to be removed [from Paramátman, the essence of dharma] – those who try to remove it are mahájanas, practical people, practical sádhakas. And whatever these practical sádhakas have done and are doing, you have to follow. This cannot be brought about with niiti. This is entirely a spiritual cult. You are sádhakas, you have to follow the mahájanas, and achieve your end by removing the cover of your “I”-ness. You will find that your goal is hidden in your own “I”-ness.

Hence niiti will help you, but only through dharma sádhaná will you be able to attain Paramátman. That is why it has been said, Ácárańát dharmah – “Conduct is the principal factor in dharma.” Be a sadácárii, a person of good conduct, and you will surely attain Paramátman. What to speak of getting Him in the future – you have already got Him, you simply are not able to see Him.

18 July 1967 DMC, Delhi

Footnotes

(1) In “Under the Shelter of the Guru”, in Yoga Psychology, 1994, the author explains how ajapá japa and adhyáná dhyána can go on during sleep. –Eds.

167 The Sound of God

In the beginning, there was sound, and the sound was with God, and the sound was God. You know, amongst different expressions, the expression of sound is the subtlest, subtler even than light, and that is why the karńendriya, the ear, is treated as the subtlest organ. Now, these acoustic expressions are of two kinds: one is divine, or spiritual, acoustic ex- pression, and the other is physical acoustic expression. The sound you hear is physical acoustic expression, and similarly there is spiritual acoustic expression in the divine realm, in the spiritual campus. But in the case of the Non-Attributional Entity, in the case of Nir- guńa Brahma, there is no expression, because nirguńa means “where there has been no expression”. But in the case of saguńa [Saguńa Brahma, the Attributional Entity] and even starting from Puruśottama [the Nucleus Consciousness], there is expression. And that ex- pression, till it reaches the physical sphere, is spiritual acoustic expression, spiritual sound.

You know, whenever you think something, you create mental sound. What is thinking? Thinking is mentally speaking. Is it not a fact? You are thinking, “Oh, my visa will expire on such-and-such day.” Actually you are speaking mentally. Mmmm. And when you speak physically, others can also hear; when you speak mentally, others may or may not hear. [Laughter among the audience.]

Now, one may catch this physical sound according to the capacity of one’s acoustic or- gans, one’s ears. You cannot catch very short or very long sounds. Similarly, in the inner sphere there are several stages, several strata, several phases; and when the inner senses develop by dint of sádhaná, one will hear that divine sound, that inner sound. It is known as the sound of silence. The what? The sound of silence. And it is what is known as onm̭ ́kára in Sanskrit – prańava or onm̭ ́kára.

When those inner senses develop, then in the first phase sádhakas [spiritual aspirants] can hear the sound, that inner sound, that inner voice, that divine sound. In the first phase it is like the sound of crickets. [Imitates the sound.]

You know, the cricket is an insect that creates a pauseless sound [imitates] in the fog. You have seen [it in] open fields, particularly in the rainy season. Mmmm… one will hear a cricket sound.

Then in the next phase, as if somebody is dancing with ghunghur̭ [ankle bells]. (You know, ghunghur̭ – you use it during the táńd́ava dance. In Sanskrit it is called nupur.) Next you will hear the sound of flutes – as if somebody is playing a flute. Then the sound of the ocean, you know? A particular sound is created by the sea. And then, in the fifth phase, taḿ, taḿ, just like bells, the sound of bells. And finally, the sound is just like oonṋ ṋ ̭ – the onm̭ ́kára in pure form. And after that there remains no sound, because after that there ends the realm, the scope, of saguńa. After that there is the scope of nirguńa. In the realm of nirguńa there cannot be any sound, because there cannot be any expression. Not even divine expression, not even supra-psychic expression.

168 By dint of sádhaná, in the last phase you will hear the sound, the onm̭ ́kára – oonṋ ṋ .̭ You will hear that sound. It is known as the onm̭ ́kára or prańava. In the Vedas it has been said, Prańavátmakam ́ Brahma [“Brahma is of the same nature as prańava”]. When one can hear that prańava, in the next phase one will come in contact with Nirguńa Brahma. That’s why prańava is called Prańavátmakam ́ Brahma. Prá – nu + al = prańava. Prańava means that entity that helps the sádhaka to come in contact with Parama Puruśa. In Sanskrit another name for prańava is Shabda Brahma – Brahma expressed as shabda. Shabda means sound. So a day will come when this prańava will become a crude reality for you. Now, for some of you prańava is in dreamland [much laughter], [but actually] it is a crude reality.

16 December 1971 morning, Patna

169 Astitva and Shivatva

Where there is existence, there is speed, movement. And this dynamism is always relative. This movement is begotten by actions (karmatattva). What is action? Where the speed of the object together with its movement with the relativities is towards a desideratum (laksy- abhimukii), it is karma. The factor (tattva) which enables an action to be accomplished is termed as Prakrta Shakti. The action cannot be accomplished where these three factors such as space, time and person are not there i.e. before performing action these three fac- tors (tridanda) are indispensable for Prakrta Shakti. Whatever is performed in the expressed world, is effected by Prakrta Shakti. This Prakrta Shakti gets its inspiration from the Sentient Principle, the action is accomplished by the Mutative and the existence of an action is by the Static i.e. action is the collective result of these three factors. Where Prakrta Shakti performs actions without results, there she is known as avyakta. Where the action is ex- pressed, where Prakrta Shakti is expressed (Vyakta), there Consciousness (Puruśa Bhava) is operated (karmanvit) by it. But where Consciousness is not operated by Prakrta Shakti i.e. Prakrta Shakti does actions but the result is not begotten, there Puruśa Bhava is known as Citi Shakti. This is known as Citi Shakti only because Karma Shakti is vibrated (pratisamve- dit) by it. Hence Puruśa Bhava is also known as a principle which is Citi Shakti. It is be- cause in His absence Karma Shakti can’t get expression. This Karma Shakti or Prakrta Shakti is a principle within the Citi Shakti. Where Citi Shakti is vibrator (pratisamvedii), there alone action is expressed. And where Citi Shakti assimilates (grasa) Prakrta Shakti, there Prakrta Shakti is avyakta (unexpressed). Therefore the vibration (pratisamvedan) is only due to Citi Shakti. So the Citi Shakti is the Supreme Vibrator (Parama Pratisamvedii). This is the law of the vibration – the vibrator vibrates the object but without vibrating when it engulfs (grasa), there it is known as unexpressed. Hence in the practical world we cannot get anything unexpressed because whatever vibrator is there is engaged in the work of vibrations. Hence the supreme vibrator is only that unexpressed Consciousness (Avyakta Puruśa Satta).

When the speed of human intellect becomes pointed, there people search one in many. Whatever they find behind that they search its vibrator. Getting the same they try to find out the vibrator of the previous vibrator. Like this when they attain Citi Shakti or Parama Puruśa, they find that Citi Shakti has not its vibrator as that is beyond time, space and per- son. Therefore Citi Shakti and Parama Puruśa are known as Supreme Vibrator (Parama Pra- tisamvedii). When we see the expressed world, there we see not the synthetic process but the analytic process. In analysis what we find is the vibrator of one object, and so another one is the vibrator of the first vibrator, and so on and so forth. From Sambhu this expressed universe comes to Bhaerava and then to Bhava. These all are vibrators and Prakrti is vi- brated. What is the idea (bhava) in this vibration?

About Prakrti it is told that she is nitya nivrtta – “Prakrti sa nityanivrtta”. When Prakrti tries to be vibrated but instead she is engulfed, there she is nitya nivrtta, there she is waning, she is merging into Puruśa Bhava (Consciousness). Though she is merging into Puruśa Bhava yet she is not being annihilated, for her being infinite. The cruder the vibrator we

170 get, the cruder the Prakrti tries to make it. Actually Prakrti tries to make that her own but this makes the object still cruder. So gradually it becomes crude from the subtle. Behind this a principle works – “Abhoga samsargat praptiresana”. You must remember it. When near an object of enjoyment (abhoga) another object reaches, a desire is begotten to get that object. For instance a man when in town has dress, living as per the dress and living of the urban people and when in a village he has as per the villagers. This is effected be- cause of his desire begotten out of his association with people in town and villages re- spectively. When some persons take tea, there you also get the desire to take the same.

In Pratisaincar̭ a process there is a movement from crude to subtle and behind that there is only one vrtti (tendency). “Abhoga samsargat praptiresana”. With the association of the enjoyable object there is a desire to get it. In this Cosmic Cycle (Brahma Cakra) everyone has his individual pabulum (abhoga). And after that they are running. Those who have got several pabula, run after all of them and get exhausted and in the long run they get none. Those who have got only one pabulum get the same very easily. Therefore it is told.

Ananyamamata visnormamata brahamasamgata.

Instead of running after several objects, run after Visnu and get Him because there is only one pabulum here. When more than one pabulum is there, the mind gets divided and none will be achieved. This goes on. When first of all from Saincar̭ a comes Pratisaincar̭ a, when citta comes into being, or citta and ahamtattva come or citta, aham and mahatattva come, men run after their respective pabula. This they do either because of inborn instinct or imposed saḿskara or any other reason. And according to Prakrta Liila several pabula are kept before man. He runs after them and forgets Parama Puruśa and gets away from Him and thus the liila of Parama Puruśa goes on. And when the movement towards the pabulum is stopped, men start moving towards the Nucleus of these pabula. Running after the pabulum is known as esana. Because of this esana the promptness for action (kar- matatparata) is begotten. Hence in no case man should be freed from esana. Without esana there will be disturbance. One has only to see the type of esana.

The subject matter is “Astitva and Shivatva”. Esana, aforesaid, has deep relationship with astitva. Where there is no esana, there is annihilation of existence. Hence the existence of esana is essential. It is said above that when a man runs after varieties, he gets none. Sometimes a man thinks to be a Minister, sometimes a Secretary, sometimes a poet. There are thousand and one desires. Because of this esana is not made fully. A man gets ex- hausted after running after the material objects and ultimately there is no karmasiddhi (success in action). When esana is indispensable for existence of life, a man has to see what kind of esana should be made. Behind this esana is karmatatparata. These two go side by side. Then what is Karma? “Karma Brahmeti karma bahukurviita”. Karma is Brahma, therefore, do as much karma as possible. The real karma is to move towards Brahma and that karma is nothing but another name of Brahma. It is His metamorphosis. Hence taking karma to be Brahma, go on performing actions. The action which you will do in that stage, behind that will be the right esana. And that esana will only be one and not many. Now the spatial transformation of the object is karma and together with karma only that esana is there i.e. to attain Brahma. In such a case there will be much more ac-

171 celeration in the process of Pratisaincar̭ a. As is said above, when the esana is only one, the work will be done. When there are so many, the work will not be done at all. If one de- sires to take milk and smoke at once, it can’t be possible. A man has to do either of these two. Hence the object of esana is Parama Puruśa and nothing else. “Ananyamamata vis- normamata brahmasamgata”. The esana for other objects has to be channelized towards Parama Puruśa. This will be the right esana. And “Ananyamamata visnormamata brah- masamgata” – that is love, that is mukti. Hence, the correct esana for men is bhakti (devo- tion).

If a man wants to become a devotee of the lord but in the mind of his mind, if he thinks that God will make him pass his examination – here the esana is not one but two. Here the work will not be done, “I want Paramátman and from Him I want nothing”. When something is demanded from God the esana becomes two. Hence the time is completely wasted. Where this esana is towards Paramátman there it is known as devotion. Where there is bhakti there will be the success in action and there will be victory for devotees. This world is for devotees and for nobody else. When the esana is not for Paramátman but for something else, it is known as asakti (attachment) and not bhakti. As for example, the esana for wine. This esana will be termed as panasakti, the attachment for wine i.e. at- tachment is always in bad sense and devotion is always supreme. Therefore the correct Esana is devotion. It does not mean that the devotee will do only bhajan and kiirtan. They are not seasoned devotees! It is because that sádhaka who moves on speedily on the Prati- saincar̭ a path towards Parama Puruśa will never blind to the sufferings of numberless per- sons around him because of the lack of solid social system, solid economic system and the lack of humanity. If he is blind to the ill-management in the social system, he has not been able to understand Parama Puruśa fully. If he does so, his will be subjective approach but not the objective adjustment i.e. when a devotee will move towards Parama Puruśa his approach will be “Átma mokśartham jagat hitaya ca”. He goes on moving towards Parama Puruśa while serving the humanity. When the humanity is neglected, the “Átma mokśa- rtham” is also destroyed. Hence he must be ready to serve the humanity. Therefore the sádhakas who don’t render social service don’t have real devotion. In their devotion lies selfishness (khudaparasti). The devotees who are selfish (khudaparasti) don’t attain God (Khuda). Hence the correct esana is devotion. Those who are devotees are workers (kar- mii). They will never be afraid of the work. They will do maximum work.

Now when you go to perform an action, you will have to learn the skill of performing it. Hence the need for knowledge is there. Hence those who are real devotees will not ne- glect Karma and whatever knowledge is necessary in performing real action will be also acquired by them. Knowledge and karma cannot reach a devotee to Paramátma – devotion can. But for serving the humanity, knowledge and action are essential. Devotees must have to learn it. As long as men perform subjective approach and for the objective adjust- ment acquire knowledge for doing correct action, till then they have their existence (as- titva) and movement towards Shivatva. How does this astitva become meaningful (sar- thaka)? The more he nears Paramátma, the more meaningful his life becomes. The exis- tence of a crude minded man is not valuable. The existence of germs and insects is not valuable though they too have the feeling of their existence. Everybody’s existence hasn’t the same value. On the death of a certain man everyone weeps but on the death of an-

172 other man people feel themselves relieved. By action, knowledge and devotion the exis- tence is made valuable. This alone is true practicality. The more existence of man merges in Parama Puruśa, the more valuable he becomes. The person who does not have objective adjustment and fails to take jiiva to be Shiva will never reach Parama Puruśa. He can never be great. Some shástras name such persons as Prakrtiliina and some Videhaliina. What is Prakrtiliina?

Persons who are self-centered (khuda parasta) don’t have Paramátman as their goal, but something else. Outwardly they say that Paramátman should be obtained but in their inner mind they have the desire for something else. Such people who outwardly say that Paramátman should be obtained but in the inner mind they desire for fame, riches, have the crude object as their goal. Whatever the inner mind says is the goal of the jiiva (micro- cosm). Whatever is the feeling in the external mind is not the goal. But in the inner mind, because of his goal being the crude object his ultimate achievement is known as Prakrtili- ina. Prakrti means the phenomenal world. Their existence will be transformed into the phenomenal world i.e. the conscious man gets transformed into crude object. There is one more word for the samádhi in the Prakrta Shakti and that is Jad́a Samádhi. Jad́a Samádhi is very much below human existence and to be free from that is also very difficult. After crores of years there will be human life. Just see how dangerous it is! So with Parama Pu- ruśa, don’t have two personalities, inside something and outside something else. Become the same as you are within. Entire mental structure, entire ectoplasmic stuff will be con- verted into the quinquelemental world.

There are also some people who have correct esana but don’t have correct direction. They know that Parama Puruśa is the goal but they don’t have the real direction. It is said that spiritual practice should not be performed studying from books. For it, Preceptor is essen- tial. Reading the book or hearing from other if a man starts doing sádhana, that too is dan- gerous because in that case a clear conception about the goal is not formed. Hence one does not know where one is going. The boat is sailing but the sailor does not know where the boat will go to. The sailor will get exhausted ultimately and will have some accident in the long run. In that case when such persons die, the state after death is known as Vide- haliina. Their existence is not finished herein, but their feelings remain in the ideational world as an abstract. This too is as dangerous as Jad́a Samádhi. The difference between Jad́a Samádhi and Videhaliina is that in the former there is a folly because of a hidden de- sire but in the latter there is no folly but the correct direction could not be had. Hence everybody should know that without direction nothing should be done. Everything should be done with proper direction, proper guidance. As for instance, people utter loudly the word revolution, revolution, but revolution does not mean putting buses and trains on fire or removing the railway lines. This causes damage to government and government is peo- ple’s. Therefore it is a damage to the people themselves. All these are destructive ap- proaches. The persons who do such destructive approaches lack in knowledge. Just like that, in sádhaná if some hodge-podge is made, it means the lack of knowledge. Because of this, both the individual and the society are harmed. So this is Videhaliina. Hence Vide- haliina is sure to be there if there is no love for Paramátman.

173 And where there is love for Paramátman, there is action and knowledge also, service to humanity is also there, sádhaná is also being performed, in that sense if there is duality (dvaeta bháva) between Parama Puruśa and the devotee – in such a case if there is excess of Iishvara bháva (cosmic ideation), the sádhaka enjoys bliss and temporarily he becomes free from miseries. That state of bliss is Bháva Samádhi. The persons who attain Bháva Samádhi are devotees but the duality exists. Everybody is born out of Parama Puruśa, so how can there be two – the devotee and the Parama Puruśa? Hence in Bháva Samádhi a much higher stage is not attained. As long as there is Bháva Samadhi there is bliss, but af- ter this the aspirant is an ordinary human being.

Some devotees, who go still ahead and feel the oneness with Him, but instead of loving Paramátman Himself, think more of His guńas (qualities). In such a case they attain Guńatmaka Samádhi. In that case the devotees also attain so many qualities, but perma- nent unification with Paramátman is not attained. What happens in Guńatmaka Samádhi is that the devotee has much more the feeling of the qualities. Secondly, the man having Guńatmaka Samádhi has the standard from where he thinks that his coming in this uni- verse should be justified. He wants to justify his body, mind, Átman, and the whole life. These are the sentient feelings indeed – but they are also not seasoned devotees! The feel- ing should be that the body and mind which have been given by Parama Puruśa will be utilized in the service of the society for pleasing Parama Puruśa. Devotees are known as Gopa. Persons who please Parama Puruśa are Gopa – “Gopayate yah sah Gopah”. Their very nature is to please Parama Puruśa. Gopa does not mean the persons who rear cattle. Devotee of the first order will not want Guńatmaka Samádhi. They will want to utilize their body, mind and their qualities for the service of humanity. It is because everything belongs to Paramátman. He has expressed Himself into every object of the universe up to the blade of grass. A devotee will serve the humanity because Paramátman will be satis- fied. Those persons who utilize themselves fully for pleasing Paramátman are A-class devotees. They alone are devotees and the others are not. Where the only aim is to please Paramátman there the devotee completely forgets himself because khudaparasti is pleasing oneself. Up to Guńatmaka Samádhi even this sense of self-centeredness exists. But where there is no personal desire but the only aim is to please Parama Puruśa, the khudaparasti does not exist at all. And in the absence of khudaparasti only khudaparasti remains. The final merger (pranásh) of the existence (astitva) is there. With the extinction of astitva, there is the establishment of Shivatva. Everything is done for the happiness of Shiva. This estab- lishment of Shivatva is known as Shiva Samádhi. The Supreme Goal of human life is Shiva Samádhi. People are established in Shiva Samádhi by being guided by “Átma mokśartham jagat hitaya ca”. There is no other way out.

It can be questioned how an illiterate, weakling man will do action and acquire knowl- edge. There is only one answer to this. If one is a devotee then Paramátman will teach him the technique of rendering services.

Bhakti Bhagavatoseva Bhakti Premasvarúpinii Bhakti Ánandarúpashca Bhakti Bhaktasya Jiivanam.

174 “Bhakti Bhagavatoseva” – Devotion is for pleasing the Lord and not for pleasing any worldly object. “Bhakti Premasvarúpinii” – Bhakti is love personified. The man who does not have compassion, the man who does not shed tears at the miseries of others, is not a man but a stone. He cannot do any great work. Be happy with the happiness of others and troubled with the trouble of others. This alone is natural. Don’t be unnatural. The effort to make everybody one’s own culminates in love for the Lord, i.e., devotion is love-for-God personified. “Bhakti Ánandarúpashca” – devotion is the ecstasy of Bliss, the ocean of Bliss. And “Bhakti Bhaktasya Jiivanam” – devotion alone is the life for the devotee. The greatest enmity against devotees is to take away their devotion. Don’t ever try to snatch devotion from devotees since devotion is their life. Paramátman himself will teach knowledge and the technique of doing the work. It is not the devotees’ headache. Surrender everything to the Lord. Because man has not been able to solve his problems by his efforts, nor will he be able to, hence a devotee has not to be disturbed. And if one requires something from God, one has to require only Parábhakti (Absolute Devotion). When devotion is attained, God is attained. If God is attained, everything is attained. What remains unattained! Therefore from ancient time learned people have been accepting that the wisest man in the world is the devotee. Devotee is not bereft of intellect. On the contrary he is the wisest If you want to remain in the world remain like a devotee. As long as devotion is not there one’s heart is like a desert and when the devotion is attained, an oasis in the desert ad- vents. You have not to be afraid of anything when devotion is with you. Nothing is to be afraid of when Parama Puruśa is with you. When devotion is there, Parama Puruśa is there. And when He is there fear none. In no case you have to be disturbed. You must remember that devotion is a unique creation of Parama Puruśa. And for getting this, learning, intel- lect, money etc. are not all needed. Ask and you get the cheapest but the most invaluable.

Hence, be a devotee and establish the ideology. If devotion is with you, whatever you want, in whatever way you want, you will establish your ideology. Those who are devo- tionless, will go on blinking and can never do anything against you, if devotion is with you, victory is with you.

Ánanda Púrńimá 31 May 1970 DMC, Muzaffarpur

175 The Call of the Supreme

Kośa means ádhára or base. Are the Saptaloka (seven spheres) and Paincakos̭ ́a (five sheaths) separate from the Átman (Soul)? Is the relation between them that of the container and the contained? If we say, Eko Brahma dvitiiya násti (there is only one Brahma and no other) then of ádhára and ádhrta, which is Brahma and which is not? If either the container or the contained is considered as Brahma does that mean that the other is not Brahma? If it is argued that Saptaloka and Paincakos̭ ́a are the base of Brahma, then the existence of some other entity outside of Brahma has to be acknowledged. For instance, suppose there is a person in a house. The house and the person exist separately. The house is the con- tainer and the person is the contained. Hence, the house is separate from the person. In the Paincakosá,̭ Átman is the contained and the kośa is the container. Clearly the container must be bigger than that which it contains. There is nothing bigger than Paramátman; hence it cannot have a container. Should we then consider that the Saptaloka and the Paincakos̭ ́a do not exist? Yes, for the Saptaloka is included in Brahma. Their aggregate is Brahma. The jiiva is included in the Paincakos̭ ́a. There is a subtle difference between the jiiva and Brahma. In the jiiva there are two types of “I” feeling – one is its mind created by Máyá, and the other is its knowledge-filled state – the reflected expression of Paramátmá Himself – that is, its (the jiiva’s) jiivátmá. Jiivátman is the real “I” feeling of jiiva or unit soul. Of the seven spheres, Brahma is unaffected only in the Satyaloka and in the remain- ing six lokas, Brahma is affected by Máya. It can also be explained in this way, that the six lokas are created within Brahma which itself pervades the expressed universe as imperish- able Brahma. Brahma has no base. Excepting Satyaloka, the remaining six lokas are cre- ated within Brahma, in the very midst of Brahma. Is it the case then that the light is differ- ent from its original source? The Saptalokas are its evolution – these are the manifestation of Brahma – the relationship is not that of the container and the contained. The difference between the jiivátman and Paramátman exists only so long as there is the “I” feeling of the unit soul (jiiva bháva).

What is the relationship between jiivátmán and Paramátman? What is jiiva (unit soul?) The base of the physical body is the kośas. Here, the base is bigger than that which is based upon it. The Kámamaya Kośa is bigger than the Annamaya Kośa. Then the Manomaya Kośa is bigger than the Kámamaya Kośa. The Atimánas Kośa is bigger than even the Manomaya Kośa. The Vijinánama̭ ya Kośa is larger than this. The Hirańmaya Kośa is bigger than the Vijinánama̭ ya Kośa and the biggest of all is the Satyaloka. All of these aspects are limited to the unit soul and all of them are its bases. Now, what is the relationship between the base and the based? The relationship is that of a subject and an object. For instance, the physical body is the object of enjoyment and the mind is the enjoyer. That is, our body is the object of enjoyment of our mind and the mind remains attached to it. The body is the base of the mind and the mind is intimately attached to its base.

Mahattattva is the pure “I” feeling of the subtlest state of the mind. Every jiiva has this “I” feeling, and where the Átman assumes special “I” feeling it becomes jiivátman.

176 Where the Átman remains as the knower “I”, of Shyam Babu, it is called Shyam Babu’s átman. In every living being all the spheres – right from the Kámamaya to the Hirańmaya kośa – are to be meditated upon. The knower behind the meditative power of the mind is the Átman. The relationship of the Átman and the mind is that of a subject and an object. The mind is the thinking subject of the body and the Átman is the knowing subject of the mind. Then, are there really innumerable souls and what is the difference amongst them? The difference is that a soul is taken in different aspects due to the difference in its objects. When there is a singular knowing entity (Saguńa Brahma) behind all minds, then taking the collective view Brahma is the knower of all the knowers in the perishable and imper- ishable states (i.e. within or without the influence of Prakrti) of the jiiva. Saguńa Brahma is the knower, the perishable and the imperishable. He who is absolutely perishable and absolutely imperishable is Brahma. The fragmentary or reflected perishable, or fragmentary or reflected imperishable is jiivabháva. Nirguńa is neither perishable nor imperishable. It is beyond these. It is absolutely liberated. Does Saguńa Brahma (Collective Imperishable) have no influence over the unit imperishable? Most certainly it has.

Kśaraḿ pradháńam amratákśaraḿ harah Kśaratmáńá vishate deva ekah Tasyábhidyánád yojanát tattvabhávád Bhuyaschánte Vishvamáyánivrttih.

Prakrti is mutable and Puruśa immutable. Brahma is overpowering and as the controller He is called Iishvara or Puruśottama. By being absorbed in Him, people get liberated from worldly attachment. How is liberty attained? What is the object of a jiiva (unit soul)? Sup- pose I am Ram or Shyam. Now Ram and Shyam look upon the world with their own re- spective viewpoints. The mind takes the shape of its object. When the mind makes Him its object, it is transformed into Him. By suffusing itself with cosmic feelings it attains infini- tude and sees the entire universe contained in Him. It has been said in the scriptures: “Brahmavid Brahmaeva bhavati.” (The knower of Brahma becomes Brahma.) When the unit “I” is transformed into the collective or cosmic “I” then the Átman attains oneness by fusing into the soul of the collective “I.” That is, it unifies or becomes one with the Átman of Saguńa Brahma.

In day-to-day life a person maintains his existence in the physical state. Crude matter forms the object of enjoyment of the mind. On account of the crude matter being its ob- ject of enjoyment, the mind itself becomes crude. Humankind’s primary concern regarding food and clothes is the concern of Kámamaya Kośa and inevitably the mind is in associa- tion with crude objects. In such circumstances, how can there be any opportunity for self- elevation? Animals are constantly associated with crude.

Áhárnidrábhayamaethunainca̭ Sámáyametad pashubhirnaráńám Dharma hi teśámadhiko visheśo Dharmenahiináh pashubhih samánáh.

177 The mental tendencies of appetite, sleep, fear and sex urge are found among humans and animals. So what is the difference between the two? The distinction between humans and animals is that humans have a sense of Dharma. Human beings practice dharma, but ani- mals do not. A person who does not pursue the path of Dharma in spite of being endowed with the human form is just like a beast.

Human beings advance from subtle to the subtlest or degenerate from crude to the crud- est, according to their own propensity. Many isms are based on the Kámamaya Kośa. In one socio-economic theory, the economic factor is the only factor. But the kámamaya is only one kośa. Even trees also possess Kámamaya Kośa and that is why they derive their vital energy from the earth, water and air. Where the Annamaya Kośa dominates, all the remaining kośas are dormant. The mind identifies itself with crude objects and therefore has no “I” feeling. For this reason, the Átman is also devoid of perception. While the mind is sleeping in the dormant or latent state, it does not permit the jiivátman, which is but a reflection of Paramátman, to reveal itself.

Confinement to the Annamaya Kośa tends to crudify a person since it does not allow for psychic elevation. There is some scope for discussion of philosophical controversies, which have arisen with respect to the Manomaya Kośa, On account of mental difference, different philosophical thoughts have sprung up e.g. Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Christian- ity, and so on. Only in spirituality do we find discussions on subjects from the subtle to the subtlest, including the Átman. The mind is the object of Átman. To attain Átman, blend the mind with its original subject. Unify the object with the subject. The relationship between them is the same as between you and your hand. There is only one way to self-realization and that is to fuse the mind with the knower of the mind and eliminate the crude mani- festation of the Átman. How is this possible? It is only possible by the introversion of the tendencies, which can be achieved through knowledge and sádhaná. It is not possible to be introverted until each and every cell (kośa) is realized. When the mind realizes that the physical body is the vehicle of the mind, then you will know that there is progress in sá- dhaná. In other words it is necessary to have perfect conception of each kośa and for this it is necessary to know where one kośa ends and another begins. There are two minds – one immature and the other mature; one introverted, the other extroverted. Only the knowledge of these five kośas (Paincakos̭ ́as) can be the perfect knowledge. Take a ripe mango, for example. Although the pulp and the seed of a ripe mango remain together they are in fact, separate. Ripeness means perfection.

This is the difference between dharma and sectism. Dharma makes each kośa perfect and enables a person to achieve perfection in sádhaná. Only through the achievement of per- fection are different portions differentiated from the original stuff. Sádhaná is based on philosophy and supported by logic. In olden times people were under the impression that the world was comprised solely of matter and they never thought to go beyond the Kám- amaya Kośa. Had they contemplated a little deeper, they would have realized that they were totally mistaken. Similarly, many modern philosophies are solely materialistic. Their propounders did not fully apply their minds and hence they cannot be deemed to be per- fect philosophies. Only those philosophies which carry us to the highest levels of the soul

178 by observing every current of the mind are the real philosophies. The rest are only aca- demic logics.

What is sectism, mazhab or religion? Some people encourage us to worship idols, others encourage us to have a dip in the Ganges. All these things are created within the mind and are destroyed there. Happiness and heaven, afflictions and hell – all are mental concep- tions in the physical world. They are all destroyed in the Manomaya Kośa. The proponents’ souls are confined to the Manomaya Kośa and they are “Bhuktaye na tu muktaye”, seekers of enjoyment and not the seekers of salvation.

Some sects hold that happiness comes after death, but who will enjoy that happiness? The mind, of course. But where does the mind go after the destruction of its vehicle – the physical brain? Who will enjoy the pleasures? The Átman pervades as an indivisible form, as an all-knowing entity. There is no Átman in the grave, nor does the question of its wak- ing up arise. In such sectism the Manomaya Kośa is called the soul, however if there is only the soul, then there would be no fear of pain or pleasure.

Anejadekaḿ manaso javiiyo naennaddeva ápnuvan púrvamarśat Taddhávato’nyánatyeti tiśthát tasminnápo mátarishvá dadháti.

Ordinarily sectisms terminate in the Manomaya Kośa. Idolatry can elevate a person up to the Átimánas Kośa, but no further. Many persons aspire to achieve happiness by devoting themselves to idolatry. They do not aspire to get absorbed in Paramátman and remain close to Him. Buddhism rises above this, since it also provides for the annihilation of saḿskára. Annihilation of the “I” feelng is called merging into the Supreme. Buddhism does not rec- ognize the soul, but speaks of annihilation of the ego; but who will annihilate the ego? It is the ego which will obliterate the “I” feeling. So egoism then, must be considered as the subtlest expression of mind.

The subtlest expression of mind is in the Hirańmaya Kośa, which is the first expression of mahattattva. Establishment in this kośa in a universal manner is Savikalpa Samádhi. When after emerging from the saḿ́skára, the Hirańyamaya merges in attributeless Brahma, then this is called Nirvikalpa Samádhi. Those who have attained the Kámamaya Kośa will say that it is not proper to steal since, if we steal, others may also steal from us. This is the trend of thought of the materialists. Their thinking is distorted with selfishness. One should not steal for the sake of keeping the mind pure. That is the correct approach.

The Paincakos̭ ́as shall have to be perfected, but how is it possible? They can be consum- mated only through the practice of Yama and Niyama. The Annamaya Kośa is perfected through Ásanas (physical postures). Yama and Niyama sádhana perfects the Kámamaya Kośa. The Manomaya Kośa is perfected through Práńáyáma. Through Pratyáhára the Atimánasa Kośa is perfected. The Vijinánama̭ ya Kośa is perfected through Dhárańá and the Hirańmaya Kośa through Dhyána. Only Dhyána Samádhi gives access to the soul. Pious persons are those who are earnest in their efforts to perfect the Paincakos̭ ́a. Human exis-

179 tence consists of the five kośas and spiritual practice is eightfold. This spiritual practice is dharma. That which does not provide for the explanation of the Paincakos̭ ́a is not dharma, but sectism.

Why is Aśt́áunga̭ Yoga called dharma? The purpose of dharma is to attain perfect happiness and perfect happiness is the attainment of the soul, there being only partial happiness in each kośa. So long as the soul is not attained every kośa has to be perfected. Each kośa has to be taken care of. One kośa cannot be perfected to the exclusion of the rest. Where there is perfect happiness there is dharma. Everything else yields only partial happiness and is therefore sectism. Sectism leads to preya (superficial and immediate gains) and only dharma leads to shreya (ultimate and real gains.) Everything else leads to crudeness. Dharma leads to Supreme Consciousness and only that which upholds and sustains the soul is dharma. The dharma of fire is to burn and the dharma of living beings is to attain happiness. Where there is pursuit of preya there is Avidyámáya. The happiness of heaven and the fear of hell are creations of the mind. Dharma has no fear since through dharma one attains the original state. Ánanda Márga alone is dharma and all the rest are sectisms.

All inspiration for a person practicing dharma is derived from Saguńa Brahma through His grace. For this reason one must be indebted to Saguńa Brahma. The person who does not practice sádhaná is inferior to a tree, for the tree has no capacity for sádhaná, whereas the person has. The wise avail themselves of this beneficence. Those who do not are ignorant. You have got divine grace and a human frame, so make use of this grace properly. Do not waste this golden opportunity.

Krśna nam harinám baŕai madhur Jejan kaśńa bhaje se baŕa catur Din gela miche káje rátri gela nide Nábhajinu Rádhákrśńa carańaravinde.

–Narottamdás

You human beings are fortunate that you do not have to live as stones or trees. The entire universe has the grace of Brahma, but human beings enjoy greater grace. They are en- dowed with the privilege of practicing sádhaná. It is the special grace of Brahma to appear as Sadguru and teach spiritual practice to human beings. Is it not His special grace when Brahma attracts a person?

When one person attracts the Hirańmaya Kośa of another it is termed Brahmavidyá. The one who attracts the Hirańmaya Kośa of a person is the Supreme Guru.

When the Hirańmaya Kośa of one person attracts the Vijinánama̭ ya Kośa of another it is termed Daevii Vidya. When the Vijinánama̭ ya Kośa of one person influences the Atimánas Kośa of another it is called Gandharava Vidyá. A person with this capacity is also called Madhyama Guru. Such a person awakens the sentiments of Dharma in the mind of the disciple through sweet sounding Kirtan, etc. If the Atimánasa Kośa of one person attracts the Manomaya Kośa of another it is called Rákśasii or Paeshácika (demonic) Vidyá. When

180 the Manomaya Kośa of one person attracts the Kámamaya Kośa of another it is Bhuta Vidyá or hypnotism. If the Kámamaya Kośa of one person attracts the Annamaya Kośa of another, it is known as the force of physical attraction. Saguńa Brahma graces the living beings with divine grace. You have been blessed. Use it properly and attain the state of Nirguńa Brahma by annihilating the barrier between the subjective and objective angles of vision. The highest object, the supreme attainment, is to attain the Nirguńa state. The aspirant says:

Nivedayámi cátmánam ́ tvaḿ gati Parameshvara.

O human beings, you are fortunate. The clarion call of the Universal has reached you. Not only has the call come, but you are hearing it and it is vibrating in every cell of your body. Will you now lie in the corner of your house as an inert being and waste your time by clinging to old skeletons and bemoaning them? The Supreme Being is calling you in the roar of the ocean, in the thunder of the clouds, in the speed of lightning, in the meteor’s flaming fires. Nothing good will come from idleness. Get up and awake the clouded chiv- alry of your dormant youth. It may be that the path is not strewn with flowers and that infe- riority complex will be attempting to hold fast your each advancing step, but even then you have to proceed onwards tearing the shroud of darkness. You will tear the thick dark- ness of despair as you advance in the racing chariot radiant with the Sun’s brilliance to- wards the attainment of the Supreme state.

Jyaeśt́ha Púrńimá 1955 DMC

181 I Am Yours

Now I am leaving this country, and I am leaving you physically. I am always with you; I will always be with you. Physically I am leaving you, my sons and daughters, but I cannot forget you, and mentally I will always be with you. I want that all of you should be ideal human beings. All of you, let your existence be successful. I have got nothing more to say. Peace be with you.

My sons and my daughters, I have one more thing to say. I do not belong to heaven. What I am – I am to express this truth in a single sentence: I am yours.

27 June 1968, Manila

182 Surrender

[Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá; Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.(1)

This Máyá of Mine is of the nature of three principles, and is almost insurmountable. Only those who take refuge in Me can overcome this Máyá.]

Lord Krśńa says that His Máyá, the force that creates confusion and distinctions, is very powerful, it is insurmountable by jiivas [living beings]. “But those who surrender unto Me transcend these forces of Mine with My help.”

If Máyá is more powerful than jiivas, will the children of God remain forever slaves of this force? Is there no hope? No, such a situation is becoming neither of God nor of His chil- dren.

The secret lies in the word “Mine”. “This binding force is Mine. I have used it for the play of My creation. Being Mine, it is within My control to withdraw it from all or any,” says the Lord. “Hence those who surrender to Me can easily surmount this force.”

But what is the correct way to surrender? Prayer? Asking God for this and for that? There the responsibility for what you ask is yours – you might ask for something very inferior, although you approach the All-Powerful for it. The best prayer therefore is, “O Lord, do whatever You think fit and best for me. I do not know in which way lies my good – You know.”

There was a demon who prayed that he might die neither during day nor during night. God granted the prayer and he was killed at sunset – twilight. Do not be foolish like this. As long as you pray, you are not surrendering, for you are requesting something for your- self. You are looking after yourself. True surrender is only looking after That.

God can remove Máyá from all, at one stroke. He has the power to do so. But that will finish His whole liilá [play] and this drama of creation. Therefore He removes it from indi- viduals and not from all collectively.

For the good of human society, sádhakas [spiritual aspirants] will tell others also about the method of this surrender and make them men and women of God. Individual progress de- pends upon the social environment also, and hence the need for pracára [spiritual propa- gation].

Your present way of looking at things is defective. You are seeing many while there is only One alone.

[Author gives a demonstration and an avadhúta goes into samádhi.]

183 Both sádhaná and success are within your easy reach. The result is already secured with Me; I shall give it to you at the appropriate time. Do not bother about it.

Whether you are sinner or virtuous, those who come to God are all one for Him. He makes no distinctions. All will be liberated.

You are all my beloved sons and daughters. Sometimes I appear harsh to some. But that is for love. If I were indifferent, there would be no need for scolding or punishment.

I want to see you all laugh. It gives me great pleasure to see you laughing.

Leave all cares unto me. O be blessed.

26 April 1969, Manila

Footnotes

(1) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.

184 Glossary

ÁCÁRYA – spiritual teacher; literally, “one who teaches by his conduct and character ” ADHARMA – movement towards imperfection; literally, “not-dharma”, not the true nature of man ÁNANDA – Supreme Bliss ÁNANDA MÁRGA – the Path of Bliss ASAT – the transitory; literally, “not-Truth” ASAKTHI – attraction for the finite material world ÁSANA – a part of Yogic practice, physical exercises which harmonize the glandular sys- tem and thus make the body perfectly fit for meditation AVIDYÁ – the force leading towards “crudeness”, degeneration

BALA – spiritual force BALVÁN – full of spiritual force BHAJAN – devotional song BHAKTI – devotion, intense attraction for the Supreme BRAHMA – God, Cosmic Consciousness BRAHMACAKRA – the cycle of Brahma, the movement of creation away from God, from the “subtle” to the “crude”, from consciousness to matter, and then from the crude to the subtle, back to Him again BRAHMA LOKA – the realm of Pure Consciousness, subtlest realm of the universe

CAKRA – a psychic and spiritual energy centre in the human being; there are seven cakras located along the spinal column

DAGDHABIIJA – “burnt seed”, one who surrenders his mind to God and so creates no more saḿskáras, mental reactions DHARMA – nature, duty, the essential characteristic of an entity

FIVE FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS – the five basic factors from which the material realm of the universe is created: ether, air, fire (luminous), liquid, and solid.

GUŃAS – the three binding forces of Prakrti GURU spiritual preceptor, literally, “dispeller of darkness”

HANUMÁN – the giant monkey, devoted servant of Ráma (the God-king hero of the In- dian epic Rámáyańa)

IISHVARA – God; literally, “the controller”

JINÁṊ A – knowledge JINÁNII̭ – man of knowledge

185 KARMA YOGA – the Yoga of action; actions performed without attachment to the results KIIRTANA – chanting the Lord’s name KRŚŃA – great Yogi who lived about 3500 years ago in India, still worshipped by millions as a perfectly realized one KULAKUŃD́ALINII – “coiled serpentine”, the latent spiritual energy in each human being

LIILÁ – the divine play, the game of God in creating the universe

MADHUVIDYÁ – literally, “honey knowledge”, the sweet ideation that God is every- where, that He is doing everything MAHÁBHARATA – an Indian epic MAHÁYOGI – a great Yogi MANANA – literally, “thinking”, thinking about God MÁYÁ – the Operative Principle, the creative energy of the universe, sometimes called Prakrti MOKŚA – salvation, the merger of the mind into unqualified Cosmic Consciousness, Nir- guńa Brahma MUKTI – liberation; the merger of the mind into qualified Cosmic Consciousness, Saguńa Brahma MUTATIVE FORCE – rajoguńa, one of the three guńas or binding forces of Prakrti – causes movement, activity, restlessness

NAMASKÁR – salutations NIRGUŃA BRAHMA – unmanifested Cosmic Consciousness

PARAMA PURUŚA – the Cosmic Consciousness, God PRACÁR – the propagation of spiritual practices and philosophy PRAKRTI – the Operative Principle of God, the Cosmic Energy, sometimes called “MÁYÁ” PRÁŃA – the vital energy of an entity PRAŃAVA – the Om-sound, the sound of God PRÁŃÁYÁMA – a Yogic practice involving control of breath or vital energy PREMA – divine love PREYA – material gain PURÁŃAS – ancient Indian mythological scriptures

RÁMA – the mythological God-king, hero of the Indian epic Rámáyana RÁMÁYAŃA – an Indian epic story of the victorious battle of the God-king Ráma with the demon-king, Rávana RAJOGUŃA – the mutative force, one of the three guńas or binding forces of Prakrti, which causes restless activity RÁSALIILÁ – the play of God’s flow, the rhythmic, vibrational dance of creation, the play of waves in God’s ocean RÁVAŃA – the demon-king, enemy of Lord Ráma in the Rámáyana RUDRA – God, literally, “He who makes others weep” in pain and joy

SAT – Truth, the eternal SÁDHAKA – a spiritual aspirant, practitioner of Yoga

186 SÁDHANA – meditation, spiritual practice; literally, “effort” or “completion” SAGUŃA BRAHMA – manifested Cosmic Consciousness SAMÁDHI – to become one with God, to expand one’s unit mind by ideation on God un- til it merges in God’s mind; a state of peace and bliss. Literally, “to become one with the goal” SAḾSKÁRA – the potential reaction of one’s action SENTIENT FORCE – that force of the Cosmic Energy, Prakrti, which causes peace, aware- ness, self-knowledge, and which leads to liberation SEVÁ – service SHÁSTRAS – scriptures SHRAVAŃA – literally, “hearing” about God, telling stories about God and singing His Name SHREYA – spiritual gain STATIC FORCE – that force of the Cosmic Energy, Prakrti, which creates inaction, inertia, death

TAPAH – selfless service

VIŚŃU – the all-expanded, all-pervasive Entity, God

YOGA – literally, “unification”, the union of the unit consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness, of the spiritual aspirant with God YOGI – one who has achieved God-realization

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