Chapter 1	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

Ananda Marga is a revolution. It is not only a spiritual revolution, but also an economic, social and mental revolution. The economic system, the social structure, the trend of thinking and the spiritual practices prescribed in Ananda Marga are not only new, but something quite different from the established ideas and practices in these spheres of life.

Ananda Marga is not a change merely due to the cycle of time, but a revolution – a radical change – in the true sense. Never before in the entire history of this world, or the universe, if that could be known to mortals, has a system of life embracing the economic, social, mental and spiritual spheres been correlated in a closely-knit society, as it has in Ananda Marga. In Ananda Marga a [sannyásii, a renunciant] is as good a member of society as an ordinary family person earning his or her own living and maintaining his or her family.

If we take each one of these important spheres of life separately as depicted in Ananda Marga, we will see how they are radically different from all existing ideas on the subjects.

Economic System

Ever since the beginning of this world, the power to rule has been in the hands of one class or another.

In the beginning of the world, when it was inhabited by animals only, mere brute force determined the capacity of a class to rule. For example, we find in the natural history of the world a period when enormous reptiles, the dinosaurs, ruled the world with the help of sheer weight and brute force.

The rule of brute force did not end with the animals, but continued even in the age of earlier human beings. Even after the advent of civilization, in the early stages the knights, rajas, kings and maharajas depended on and ruled with the help of their physical strength. Every other faculty on the earth was subordinate to physical strength.

With the passage of time, as mental faculties developed, physical force was replaced by the mental capacities of planning, forethought, etc., as the essential requirements of ruling over others.

With further economic development, money became important. The possession of money could even secure the use of the knowledge of the learned, and the courage and strength of the brave. Hence the authority to rule passed on to the moneyed class, the capitalists. The capitalists could not retain the authority to rule for very long as their income depended on the workers.

The toilers, who had neither courage and strength, nor highly-developed mental faculties, nor money, had to depend on one of the above three classes for their maintenance. The classes with physical strength or mental faculties could do without the help of the toilers, and as long as their rule lasted the toilers did not realize their importance. The capitalists could not produce wealth without the help of the workers; the worker thus became an essential requirement of the ruler.

The workers did not fail to realize this, and consequently we find their attempts to rule manifest in the shape of the communist movement of the present age. A close study of this movement will show that it is not backed by individual physical strength, mental development, that is, reasoning or statesmanship, or capital, but by a unity of workers who have only one quality, that is, to work. This quality of work can be directed towards violence for snatching away the capital and the other attainments of the other classes. But whatever their drawbacks, the cycle of events shows that power is passing into their hands.

Similarly, if Ananda Marga were only a development due to the cycle of events, the power to rule, according to it, should be vested in one of the classes. If the workers or communists have outlived their utility, power, according to the ordinary cycle, should pass to the brave or to the statesmen, and Ananda Marga should have also aimed at this. In Ananda Marga this is not so. Ananda Marga does not follow any of the old patterns of economic life. The power to rule is not bestowed on any one class. In fact, in the Marga there are no separate classes. The Marga has done away with the age-old system of classifying human beings according to their trade or even their capacity.

The four classes which have ruled the world at one time or another are not of recent origin, but have been known ever since the beginning of humanity as bráhmańas [or vipras], kśatriyas, vaeshyas and shúdras. These trade-wise classifications developed due to individuals being more suited for a certain type of work. The classes so formed started the fight for power and for their own comforts, and thus came the existence of one class ruling the rest. It would thus appear that the formation of trade-wise classes was a natural and logical development.

If that were so, how, then, would Ananda Marga be able to establish a classless society? Ananda Marga does not claim any achievement which is illogical, and hence a classless society, which would be illogical, cannot be achieved by Ananda Marga. The natural and obvious conclusion of those who do not know Ananda Marga will be that Ananda Marga is like many other societies of idealists and moralists who aim to establish a classless society. The attempt to establish a classless society by Ananda Marga is not confined only to those who are preachers of the Marga, or to those who understand the philosophy of the Marga and appreciate the necessity of a classless society; rather, every member of Ananda Marga practises a system of living which leads to a classless society.

The revolutionary character of the Marga is seen from the very approach it takes to tackle one of the oldest vices of human beings: the vice of dividing themselves into classes for their own benefit. These artificial classes get logical backing from the fact that they have sprung up from the grouping together of persons of similar aptitude for the better utilization of their capacities. For instance, the learned and the statesmen combined together and formed the class of vipras. Similarly, the strong and the brave formed what is called the kśatriyas. The vaeshyas and the shúdras were formed in a similar way. Ananda Marga breaks all these classes, not by calling them bad, but by making all the members of Ananda Marga practise and develop the qualities of all these classes. For instance, the developed mind required by vipras is necessary for every member of Ananda Marga. Even if one is a shúdra or a vaeshya, or a member of any other class, every person, after joining the Marga, has to work to have a developed and strong mind. Every person has to work to build a strong and healthy body. Every person has to work for a living. This has been given so much importance in the Marga that it is laid down that the work of a sweeper – the lowest form of work – is far more respectable than depending upon others for one’s daily needs. Not only has earning money and having a balanced and dependable economic life been given importance, but even the lowest of all these classes, in whom people usually do not see any good, has been given equal importance. Every member of the Marga has to serve others physically. This is the work of the shúdras, or the workers. Followers of the Marga cannot develop themselves completely unless they can also perform this work efficiently. In short, all the requirements of the four classes have to be mastered by each individual in Ananda Marga.

It is not only the mastery of these trades which is necessary, the regular practice of these trades is an essential duty of every member of Ananda Marga. Every individual thus becomes universally fit. One makes as good a vipra as a shúdra. Thus, no scope is left for an individual to leave others behind and form a special group.

A classless society is not aimed at in the Marga, but is evolved by practice. This approach, to break a society full of classes and sects, was never thought of before. The very classes which appeared as a logical development and evolution can be broken up by an even more logical method to form only one classless society.

Ananda Marga is, therefore, not an organization of idealists or moralists who preach a classless society, but a method – a system or a dharma – which leads to a classless society. It has not been formed as a result of cyclic changes in the economic sphere of the world like the evolution of communism, rather it is a radical departure from all existing economic practices or theories conceived so far. It is a revolution in the economic sphere of the world’s life.

Social Structure

In the social sphere, too, both the means and the end adopted in Ananda Marga are revolutionary. They show a change which had never been conceived of before – a change which is not a cyclic change due to the development of the social habits of human beings. It is a change based on the fundamental characteristics of the human mind, and hence it is a change which will last as long as the human mind lasts.

Human beings, from time immemorial, have been framing laws and rules to govern themselves so that the fundamental rights of each individual are secured and all the members of society can live peacefully. Such laws have been framed from time to time by the ruling class, and every such law clearly shows that the ruling class has framed the laws keeping their own interests as the uppermost consideration in their minds. For instance, in the Manusmrti, the text of laws framed by Manu, it is stated that if a Brahman boy marries a Shúdra girl, he is to be punished by shaving his head and taking him around the town seated on the back of a donkey, while the punishment for a Shúdra boy marrying a Brahman girl is death. These laws were accepted only as long as Brahman supremacy remained, and started being questioned the moment Brahman supremacy was removed.

Since Brahman supremacy there have been numerous lawgivers, and all of them have framed laws and rules to suit their own convenience. Some have placed allegiance to the king as the supreme duty of every member of society, others have placed the country or the state above the sovereign, while others have considered their religion most important. There is no one common bond in any of the numerous societies to keep all of them together. The laws for ensuring security are framed so as to provide security of varying degrees to members of the different strata of society, such as the difference [in degree of security provided] between the Brahmans and the Shúdras or that between the white Americans and the black Americans. Such laws, lacking a common bond, cannot lead to the existence of a peaceful and everlasting society. Unfortunately, so far all lawgivers have done this, and the resulting society has been full of unrest.

The approach to tackle the problem of developing an everlasting society is revolutionary itself. The persons who are to build the society of Ananda Marga are not mere idealists and moralists. They are a group of classless, casteless, practical persons who do not only preach and meditate on the principles of classlessness, but actually practise them so as to be fit to be a member of any of the classes of the world, based on the individual capacities of human beings. With this background, they are bound together by the common bond of accepting Brahma [the Supreme Entity] as their common and foremost ideal. The ideal is everlasting, and equally important for any class of persons.

The social laws of the Marga do not only make no distinction between one person and another, but ensure that both sexes have to share equal responsibility in life. All social superstitions, such as discrimination against widows, etc., are discarded. Not only are these superstitions discarded, but the fundamental principles of some of the existing laws of society, such as allegiance to the laws of society and state, take only second place, that is, after allegiance to Brahma. Capital punishment,⁽¹⁾ such as outcasting, or restricting widows or women in general from taking part in certain social functions, do not find any place in our society.

Ananda Marga forms a society in which laws have been framed always keeping in view the common ideal, and thereby developing the idea of the oneness of all humanity. This society is radically different from any existing society, for it provides a society with a common bond where there is no distinction, whether of class or sex, where no one can be outcast or punished so that one may not be incapable of reforming oneself, and where no laws are framed keeping in view the interest of a few individuals only. In such a society, no one would be weak or downtrodden, and no one would allow oneself to be exploited by others. Such a society had been dreamt of and spoken of earlier by moralists and idealists, but never before has a practical approach to achieve it – as has been discovered by Ananda Marga by producing people who combine all the qualities of the different economic classes of the world in one individual – been conceived of by any of the numerous thinkers or lawgivers of the world.

Trend of Thinking

If Ananda Marga is a revolution in the economic and social spheres, it is a greater revolution in the mental and spiritual spheres.

All [Indian] philosophers and thinkers so far have declared the visible world to be unreal when compared to themselves. Ananda Marga takes a radically different view. According to the philosophy of the Marga, the world is as real as one’s knowledge of one’s own existence. At first it is difficult to imagine how far-reaching the effects of this radical change in the trend of thought can be. This approach not only gives the world the importance of human beings, but also makes the existence of the world essential. The world, or any worldly activity, is just as good a manifestation of the Supreme Being as human beings themselves. Hence Ananda Marga does not preach running away from the world, but makes it an essential requirement for every individual to be in the world. The idea of giving the world equal importance is a revolutionary idea.

Ananda Marga makes no distinction between a family person and a sannyásii. It needed the courage of a revolutionary to say so.

Spiritual Practices

All the religions of the world, whether present or past, have placed restrictions on the persons who are entitled to spiritual practices. In the Hindu religion also such restrictions are numerous. In almost all other religions there are restrictions as well. Ananda Marga has no such restrictions.

There is no need for a person to be a sannyásii to learn spiritual practices which so far had never been taught to family people. Ananda Marga places no restrictions on the members of a particular class, caste or sex for learning spiritual practices. The removal of such restrictions is a revolution. Never before had it been conceived that a family person, living with his or her family and earning a living, could achieve the ultimate goal, but the revolution of Ananda Marga has made it possible.

Everything we see is a manifestation of the Supreme Being, and so every work connected with It should be done with as much efficiency as the worship in other religions. Brahma is omnipresent, and one need not go to the Himalayas to find Him. The idea that whatever we do, see, hear or feel is Brahma, is a unique idea. Such a philosophy is a revolution, and is radically different from the philosophies evolved by the great thinkers of the world so far.

Ananda Marga is radically different from all concepts of philosophy, economics or social thinking. It is not a change which has evolved as a result of the evolution of the human mind and its economic and social environments; it is a revolutionary concept of life altogether different from any of the present or past ideas. It is a change which is independent of the cyclic changes resulting from the passage of time. It does not preach or practise anything which is not new in both approach and practice. It is a revolution which makes life a reality and teaches adjustment in life, rather than giving up the world and leading a useless, secluded life. It prepares human beings who are fit for every walk of life, who do not make any distinction among their fellow beings, and who are joined together as a complete, big one. In Ananda Marga all humanity, nay, all living beings, jiiva mátra, combine together in every walk of life as they sing:

Saḿgacchadhvaḿ saḿvadadhvaḿ saḿ vo manáḿsi jánatám;
Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate.
Samánii va áku’tih samáná hrdayánivah;
Samánamastu vo mano yathá vah susahásati.

[Let us move together, let us radiate the same thought-wave, let
us come to know our minds together,
Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the
past, so that all may enjoy the universe.
Let our aspirations be united, let our hearts be inseparable,
Let our minds be as one mind, so that we live in harmony and
become one with the Supreme.]

Footnotes

(1) Here capital punishment means both social ostracism and punishment by death. –Eds.

Chapter 2	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

For the existence of human beings in society, the following fundamental factors are necessary: (1) unity, (2) social security and (3) peace. What is actually required under each of these fundamentals is discussed below.

Unity

Unity among the members of any society or social structure is absolutely necessary, otherwise the structure will start disintegrating. Lack of unity among the members of society because of too much self-interest in the individual members, the formation of groups for economic or social advantage, and the lack of understanding of others, act not only to bring about the downfall of society, but also can wipe it out completely from the face of the earth. Instances of many groups and empires disappearing altogether are not rare in the little-known history of this world.

The problem, therefore, is the preservation of unity in society. Unity in society will be ensured if it is possible to enthuse the members of society with the following: a common ideal, a casteless society, collective social functions, and no capital punishment.

A common ideal: It is often heard that a particular country was never so united as during war. This is partly due to love of one’s motherland, but more importantly, it is due to all the individuals having a common ideal: facing the perils of war. This common ideal is, however, a very temporary phenomenon and disappears when the dangers of war diminish.

In Ananda Marga the seed of a common ideal is sown from the very beginning of a child’s life. At the age of five, when the child has acquired only a preliminary understanding of his or her surroundings, he or she is given the idea of Brahma [the Supreme Entity]. The entire society of Ananda Marga is thus founded on a common ideal or goal – Brahma. This foundation will never be lost like the dangers of war. Such an ideal will not disappear like the common ideal of facing the dangers of war; so the unity in a society founded on the ideal of Brahma will be everlasting.

In Ananda Marga, even in the economic field, there is a common ideal, as the whole property of the earth is common property and is to be shared by all members of the society. This is instilled in every member by reciting the following shloka [couplet] at the commencement of every function held by the members of Ananda Marga:

Saḿgacchadhvaḿ saḿvadadhvaḿ saḿ vo manáḿsi jánatám;
Devábhágaḿ yathápúrve saḿjánáná upásate.
Samánii va ákútih samáná hrdayánivah;
Samánamastu vo mano yathá vah susahásati.

[Let us move together, let us radiate the same thought-wave, let us come to know our minds together,
Let us share our wealth without differentiation, like sages of the past, so that all may enjoy the universe.
Let our aspirations be united, let our hearts be inseparable,
Let our minds be as one mind, so that we live in harmony and become one with the Supreme.]

Love for all – the ideal of the whole of humanity being one family, utilizing all the property of the world as one unit – coupled with the idea given to all those participating in the Námakarańa [baby naming ceremony] that the social, psychic and spiritual upbringing of the child is the common responsibility of all – provide an undying common ideal.

A casteless society: Caste is another important factor which disrupts society. The evils of the caste system are nowhere better known than in India. For unity in society, there should not be any small groupings within the society claiming economic and social privileges.

In Ananda Marga, where "love for all" and "humanity is one family" are the guiding principles, and where individuals identify themselves as jiiva mátra [living beings like any other], a casteless society is the only society which can exist. In all the social functions in Ananda Marga, the prominent guides and workers are guru bhái [disciples of the same guru] and not játa bhái [members of the same caste] as is the prevalent custom. From the very beginning of a child’s life, that is, when his or her worldly identity is established at the time of the Námakarańa, up to the Shráddha Kriyá [funeral ceremony], when his or her worldly identity is lost, the persons participating in all the functions as guides and workers are only guru bhái, and may be from any caste.

This, along with the common goal of Brahma, inspires the formation of a society where individuals identify themselves as jiiva mátra and do not belong to any particular caste, creed or sect.

Also, no family is debarred from taking part in our social functions because of the fault of a member of that family. With this the chances of the formation of a society of outcaste families are eliminated.

In such a society, where belonging to a particular group or section is not necessary for marriage, for learning the Vedas, or for making efforts to achieve anything, the formation of castes is not possible. In Ananda Marga, where the upbringing of every child is a combined responsibility, where the whole property of the universe is to be collectively utilized, and where there is no caste bar for spiritual practices, the formation of castes for social, economic or spiritual reasons is not possible.

Collective social functions: Many of the ills of society develop because people do not care to know other members of society. This may not only mean ignorance of the condition and difficulties of others, but also leads to intolerance and a lack of interest in the affairs of the other members of society. Common social functions bring different members of society together and are therefore a great unifying force. By performing certain functions collectively, all the members are engaged in doing the same thing for some time, and this brings about a feeling of unity and interest in others.

In Ananda Marga such common social functions are especially encouraged. Milita snána [collective bathing] and dharmacakra [collective meditation] provide grounds for common social functions in the physical, psychic and spiritual fields. Common participation in such functions is a very great unifying force. The participants in such functions will have no intolerance for each other, and will instead get more united. Such functions are, therefore, a great unifying force.

No capital punishment: Capital punishment⁽¹⁾ brings about deterioration in society and stops further progress of the individuals on whom capital punishment is inflicted. Such individuals⁽²⁾ form sects or groups which become the lower or discarded groups of society, and give rise to discord and disruption in society.

In Ananda Marga capital punishment, whether social or physical, is not permitted under any circumstances. The only punishment permissible in the Marga is disallowing a defaulter to take part in social functions for a fixed period. After the period is over, the individual starts taking part in all the functions as usual. No dependents are to suffer the punishment inflicted on such individuals. This punishment leaves no mark on the individual after the period of punishment, as does outcasting a family or even imprisonment.

The other punishment specified is to bring to the Marga, that is, to show the right path to, ten persons before the individual is allowed to attend social functions.

Punishments of this type are corrective and, instead of retarding individual progress, give more chance to the individual to correct his or her conduct and to adopt correct pursuits during the period of punishment. As these punishments do not leave a permanent mark on the individual or the family, they do not bring about discord and disunity among the members of society. On the contrary, those undergoing such punishment are employing themselves in better pursuits than in their normal life by making efforts to show the right path to ten people. They are thus not only improving themselves, but are also making efforts to improve society, and are bringing about more unity in society.

Social Security

Lack of security in society leads to the disintegration of society itself. Any society where security against injustice is not provided to individuals cannot exist for long. Lack of security in society also arises because of indiscipline. If the laws of society are not obeyed, social security will not be possible. The most important requisites for social security, therefore, are that there should be no injustice and that there should be strict discipline.

No injustice: If security in society is to be maintained, there should be no injustice, whether economic, or because of the sex or race of a person.

Economic injustice is usually the result of lack of appreciation for the dignity of labour. Trade-wise distinctions⁽³⁾ in society lead to economic injustices.

In Ananda Marga it is laid down that it is better to work as a sweeper and earn one’s own living than to be dependent on others for one’s livelihood. If such importance is given to one’s own earning and living, many economic injustices will cease to exist.

Economic injustice also comes about because of the hoarding instinct in individuals. People want all property for themselves only. If they only felt that property should be shared by others also, many economic injustices would not be committed.

In the Marga all the property of the universe is to be considered as common property and has to be utilized jointly. This idea leaves hardly any scope for economic injustices.

Another form of injustice in society is discrimination based on sex. Instances of one sex being considered inferior to the other are very common. Women in a considerable area of the world are considered to be the private property of men, meant for their pleasure only. In many other, so-called advanced, countries of this world, women do not have the right to vote in the general elections held by the government of the country. In other countries women are considered unfit to take part in spiritual practices.

In Ananda Marga both men and women have equal responsibility. In the manner prescribed for marriage in the Marga, both the man and the woman have to take equal responsibility. In Ananda Marga there is no bar on women being entitled to spiritual practices. Women and men are considered to be on the same footing, and there is no question of men considering themselves to be superior to women.

Members of a particular race who consider themselves superior to others also very frequently inflict injustices on other sections of society. The expulsion of the Jews from Germany by Hitler’s so-called superior Aryan race is a glaring example of racial injustice in society. In this country, also, injustices on Harijans by the so-called superior races have caused a tremendous amount of disruption in society. To obviate this type of social injustice, the first attempt should be to do away with racial distinctions in society.

In Ananda Marga the first step that one takes is to forget one’s race or sect – to no longer identify oneself with one’s race, caste or sect – regardless of whether it was superior or inferior.

Racial prejudices figure very prominently in social functions based on racial considerations. In [Ananda Marga] collective functions members of all races, castes or creeds take part as equals. Community or caste, race or nation, is often the main consideration in arranging marriages, etc. In the Marga there are no such considerations. In the Marga these petty differences among human beings are not given any importance.

In the Marga the seeds of an ideal humanity are sown from the very beginning of life, and humanity as a whole is considered to be one family belonging to the race of jiiva mátra. In such a society injustices due either to economics or to sexual or racial considerations will be unknown.

Discipline: Lack of discipline in a society has often been seen historically to be the main reason for the extermination of that society. Indiscipline in some members of a society may make the peaceful existence of other members impossible. Discipline is, therefore, absolutely necessary for the preservation of society.

Indiscipline in a society arises when some members think that the laws of the society are wrong. If their thinking is confined to thinking and arguing only, and does not lead to breaking the laws of the society, there will be no indiscipline. In order to maintain discipline, the laws of a society should be rational and capable of change from time to time according to the development of the society, then alone discipline can be preserved.

In the Marga anything which is not rational has no place. When reason is given so much importance and change due to reason is accepted, all chances of dissatisfaction leading to indiscipline are eliminated. At the same time, in the Marga reasoning or arguing comes only after obedience. This ensures discipline in society. If, after obeying the laws of society, one feels that they are wrong, one has every right to argue and have the laws changed, but argument before obedience leads to indiscipline.

In a society such as the Marga, which is based on rationality alone and not on prejudices, there is no chance of indiscipline creeping in and undermining the social security of individuals.

Peace

Psychic equilibrium is peace. It is therefore to be seen what brings about psychic equilibrium and what disturbs it. Spiritual practices will bring psychic equilibrium, and a belief in superstition will disturb it. Hence, for the preservation of peace, spiritual practices and fighting against superstition are necessary.

Spiritual practices: Relief from duhkha [suffering] is the main desire, and without the fulfilment of this desire peace is not possible. This remission is called nivrtti [the cessation of suffering]. Nivrtti is of two types: one is called [sámayikii] nivrtti [the temporary cessation of suffering], and the other atyantikii nivrtti [the permanent cessation of suffering]. One thing which helps in getting remission, or nivrtti, is called artha [that which provides temporary liberation from mundane desires]. But artha is purely physical, so it can bring only physical and temporary remission. For everlasting freedom from duhkha, Paramártha [that which provides permanent liberation] is the only remedy. Paramártha does not bring only temporary remission, but everlasting freedom from duhkha. Atyantikii nivrtti can be obtained only by Paramártha which relieves one of all duhkha: physical, mental and spiritual. This Paramártha can only be obtained by sadhana, that is, spiritual practices. For maintaining peace psychic equilibrium is necessary, and for maintaining this equilibrium freedom from all duhkha forever is necessary. Freedom from duhkha or atyantikii nivrtti can be obtained only from Paramártha, and Paramártha can be achieved only by sadhana, or spiritual practices.⁽⁴⁾

In the Marga spiritual practices begin when the child reaches the age of five. From the very beginning of a child’s life, he or she is initiated into spiritual practices. With the advance of the child’s life the spiritual practices also advance, bringing within their scope not only the mental sphere, but also bodily development.

The sadhana, or spiritual practices, of the Marga do not teach forsaking the world. They teach the right and correct use of all property, crude or subtle. Our sadhana is a systematic and scientific method for physical, mental and spiritual progress and advancement by which permanent psychic equilibrium, and thus everlasting peace, is established.

Fighting against superstition: The svabháva [natural tendency] of mind is to become like its object. Superstition of any kind – social, psychic or spiritual – influences the mind to such an extent that the mind, due to its worries, leads a person into trouble. The mental equilibrium of one believing in superstition is disturbed, and the result is that one not only loses peace, but one is also led to do some action which is detrimental to oneself. This only further strengthens belief in superstition. Any ordinary incident is magnified and attributed to some durlakśańa, or bad omen, by the believers of superstition.

It is only because of the mind’s nature to become like its object that people see ghosts, which are purely the mental creation of those who believe in this superstition. If only these persons had the courage and mental strength to catch the ghost, they would very soon realize that their mistake was believing nothing to be something.

Such superstitions have not left any field uncontaminated. In the social sphere there is no dearth of superstitions. Witchcraft, discrimination against widows, etc., are curses in society only due to such superstitions. In the psychic sphere there are deep-rooted superstitions such as the belief in ghosts (bhút), etc. Not only this, but superstitions related to shráddha [funeral ceremonies], etc., have also bound down even the progeny of a person. In the spiritual field, also, ignorant people have been forced to do many things only because of the deep-rooted superstition of heaven and hell. All these only disturb psychic equilibrium and bring about discord and worry in society. For the preservation of peace, the fight against superstition is of prime importance.

In Ananda Marga none of these superstitions have been given any place. In the social field witchcraft has been discredited as only a psychic creation of some kusaḿskárii [evil] person. Widows have been given the same status as unmarried women, there being no restrictions on their dress, behaviour, living, etc. Exercising any influence on widows [to compel them] to adopt a particular pattern of life based on the social superstition of disallowing their presence in social functions, is strictly prohibited.

The psychic superstitions of ghosts, shráddha, etc., also do not find any place in the Marga. Ghosts are only imaginary, and performing shráddha by giving dána [gifts] to Brahmans to take a departed soul across the Vaetárnii River [the mythological river which must be crossed to enter heaven], is only a psychic misrepresentation inculcated from the very beginning. These ideas are not rational, and therefore believing in them is not correct. This is the view taken in the Marga.

The spiritual superstitions of heaven and hell and fear of God make individuals suppressed, and they lose their peace. Not infrequently fear in terms of such superstitions creates a very undesirable reaction in people, and thereby causes a loss of peace.

In the Marga spiritual practices are based on rationality. Fear and superstition do not have any part in them. A systematic and scientific method of spiritual practices in the Marga leaves no place for these superstitions.

It can thus be seen that an ideal society will come into being only when there is unity, social security and peace. To provide for such a society, Ananda Marga is founded on Brahma as a common ideal. Unity in Ananda Marga is secured by evolving a casteless society where capital punishment is prohibited, and all take part unitedly in social functions irrespective of caste, creed or race. In such a society social injustice due to trade-wise distinctions, sex or race is not possible. Ananda Marga further strengthens society by refuting and discouraging all superstitions, whether social, psychic or spiritual, and by providing a systematic and scientific method of spiritual practices and codes for physical, mental and spiritual progress and advancement towards permanent peace in an ideal society.

Footnotes

(1) Capital punishment here means both social ostracism and punishment by death. –Eds.

(2) I.e., those ostracized by society. –Eds.

(3) The terms “trade-wise classifications” and “trade-wise classes” refer to the classifications or classes that developed because some individuals were more suited to certain types of work. (See the section Economic System in “Ananda Marga – A Revolution”.) Distinctions, i.e., discrimination, based on these classifications or classes lead to economic injustices. –Eds.

(4) For further discussion on artha and Paramártha, see “Artha and Paramártha” in Volume 3. –Eds.

Chapter 3	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Faculty of Knowledge”. In the mechanical sphere, knowing, or the functional side of knowledge, occurs with the perception of special types of reflections and refractions, but in the psychic sphere, it occurs as a result of the subjectivization of objectivity or objectivities.

For example, if a particular type of vibration hits an object or plate it meets some resistance and may get reflected or refracted, as in the case of an echo; or a certain portion of the vibration may pass through the plate. In the mechanical stratum, knowledge, or the faculty of knowledge, is thus attained. But in the psychic stratum, knowledge involves the subjectivization of any external objectivity or objectivities. We take an external object inside ourselves, be it an elephant, a horse, a vocalized word, a touch, or anything else with which we come in contact in the outer world, and assimilate it in our psychic existential “I” feeling. This is the process of knowing – it is something related to the psychic sphere. So, knowledge has two aspects – first, the aspect of reflections and refractions, and secondly, the psychic aspect; that is, the process of attaining knowledge in the psychic sphere.

The word jiṋána (knowledge) is derived from the Sanskrit root verb jiṋá (to know). In very ancient Sanskrit, which is otherwise known as the Vedic language, this root verb jiṋá was not very popular. Perhaps you know – especially those of you who study philology, or deal with the science of phonetics and vocabulary – that a language in its infancy starts with a very limited vocabulary. Later, the more the community using this limited word-stock advances in different spheres of practical life, the more enriched the vocabulary becomes, but if that community lacks the will to advance, their vocabulary will not grow. The ancient Vedic language, which was originally spoken in central Russia by the Aryans, gradually developed as the Aryans moved from country to country, undergoing innumerable experiences and realizations as they went. The natural outcome was the enormous development of their vocabulary. In that ancient dialect, the root verb jiṋá was not in common use; another verb, vid, was used.

I have just said that as a community passes through various phases in different spheres of life, its collection of words simultaneously increases. The language of monkeys will serve as an example. It is a fact that monkeys have their own language. Among the different species of monkeys there are those who remain in the jungles and forests. As they hardly ever come in contact with human beings, they have little knowledge and few words in their stock, perhaps thirty to forty words. They do not need to create compound words; they manage well enough by uttering certain significant expressions using sounds such as kiun, kun, kin, kain. There is no necessity for them to formulate compound words by joining kiun and kun, for example, otherwise they would have done so, thus creating the compound word kiun-kun to give a new meaning. But there are a large number of words in the languages of those monkeys which live close to human habitation. They come in frequent contact with humans and are required to fight battles of wits (to escape death, for instance). Certain varieties of monkeys have, in fact, as many as seven hundred to eight hundred or even nine hundred words in their dialect. Of course, they do not have a codified dictionary. They acquired as many words as they needed to move in different domains. In the case of humans, very undeveloped communities such as the Zulus, the Pygmies and the Maoris have a very limited stock of words. On the other hand, there are certain languages which have enormous vocabularies of over 500,000 words, such as the Sanskrit, French, English and German languages. In Bengali there are about 125,000 words, and in Gujarati nearly 100,000. Other languages have less than 100,000 words in their vocabularies.

A community which develops in a particular environment creates an increasing number of words relating to that domain. For example, in Bengal, which is close to the sea, there is a particular type of sea-creature called timi (whale). In North India, where there is no sea nearby, the English word “whale” is more popular than the Bengali word timi. Again, another sea-creature, the lobster, has numerous synonyms such as galdá, bágdá, kuco, kádá, mocá, etc.; as so many varieties of lobster are available only in Bengal and not in North India, in North India the words are not in currency either. In the case of sharks, there are two words used in Bengali, háunar and kámat́. The one that inhabits rivers is called kámat́. In North India there is no salt water, and there is neither háunar nor kámat́. A shark that lives in the sea is called háunar, while the one living in a lake, [not] in a salt-water area, is known as kámat́. In English there is only one word to describe both, “shark”.

When the Aryans began to spread out in all directions from their original homeland, their vocabulary also began to develop and their language began to flourish. In ancient Sanskrit, even in Rgvedic Sanskrit, the vocabulary was very limited. The root verb vid became inadequate as it was discovered that there were various other ways of knowing. For example, one can gain knowledge by reading books, by listening to others, or by undergoing some kind of training, etc. Thus, knowing can be done in several ways. Long ago, when Bengal was a sovereign country, the military personnel who used to impart training to their recruits were nicknamed jáná. Even today there is a Bengali title jáná for those people whose forefathers were military officers. The verb vid, no doubt, meant knowing, but that did not carry the full import of what the speaker wanted to convey. To cite another example: previously, people would use the verb vid to describe both the farmer’s knowing when the harvest should be reaped, and the scholar’s discovery, after much research in his psychic laboratory, of a very intricate theory. The problem was, however, how to differentiate between these two types of knowledge. Hence, the root verb jiṋá was evolved in those ancient days, which meant subjectivization of objectivity in a mechanical way through reflections and refractions. The verb jiṋá invented by the ancient Aryans, was changed into keno in Old Latin language. In Sanskrit the pronunciation is jiṋá, in Bengali jiṋa, in the Rgvedic language jiṋa, in Old Latin keno, and in Modern English “know”. (As the original spelling of the word was “kenow”, we still spell the word with a “k” at the beginning without actually pronouncing it.) Those who learned the science of Tantra Yoga and Rája Yoga from Lord Shiva, cultivated the physical and psychic aspects of knowledge – the expressions and waves of vibrations. Consequently, the Shaivites became followers of the cult of knowledge (jiṋána márga) whereas the non-Shaivites became the followers of the cult of devotion (prapatti márga). You should know the difference between the two.

The first question that the jiṋána márgiis pose whenever they see an object, whether psychic or spiritual, is invariably, “What is this?” Their next question is, “What is its source or origin?” Then they proceed further along that line to another source of knowledge where both reflection and refraction end. That is, the mind of the inquirer reaches a point where it fails to comprehend that plate on which the processes of reflection and refraction operate. The point where the mind loses its capacity to analyse or compare further is the Supreme Point; and this is the Shaeva cult of knowledge. Judged in this light, Ananda Marga philosophy also supports the Shaeva cult as it strives for the further enrichment and advancement of the cult of knowledge. It encourages the development of intellect and wisdom, and thus motivates people to acquire more and more knowledge. This is a great boon for humanity, as the highest treasure of human beings, which distinguishes them from the other creatures, is their intellectual superiority. Had there been no intellect in humans to distinguish them from other creatures, there would be hardly any difference between humans and animals. Therefore, this philosophical consciousness, which can also be called “Ananda Marga consciousness”, will lead humanity to greater intellectuality. And the constant pursuit of intellectuality leads one to its furthest point, the place where intuition begins. Hence in the realm of spiritual practice, it is immensely helpful. The path of sádhaná is not devoid of intellect or intuition; rather it is based on intuition. It gives no scope for superstition or blind faith. Instead it facilitates the maximum all-round progress of humanity and the manifestation of the highest human excellence.

The other cult, the non-Shaeva cult, which I prefer to call prapatti márga, is said to have a serious defect: it hampers, at the very outset, the development of humanity. It states that whatever is happening in this universe is due to the Cosmic will, without which not even a single blade of grass can move. This doctrine is called prapattiváda. A jiṋána márgii says in refutation, “Well, it is a hundred percent true that nothing in this universe, not even a blade of grass, can move without His will. This is exactly what we wish to discover in jiṋána márga: that He desired it, and then the blade of grass moved. What is the harm if we want to find out how His desire causes everything to happen?” And here lies the difference between the two cults, and the superiority of the Shaeva cult over the non-Shaeva cult.

Chapter 4	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

Now a question arises: Is ordinary knowledge confined to the material level or to the abstract level, or is it partly material and partly abstract? At the same time yet another question may arise: If this ordinary knowledge is partly material and partly abstract, is there any extraordinary (superconscious) knowledge which is totally unrelated to the material body and exclusively associated with the abstract level? We shall try to answer these questions, one after the other.

The way in which one withdraws oneself from all worldly factors determines how the action of knowing takes place.

Yacchedváuṋmanasii prájiṋastadyacchejjiṋána átmani;
Jiṋánamátmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchánta átmani.

[Wise persons first merge their indriyas into their citta, then their citta into aham, then aham into mahat, then mahat into jiivátmá, and finally their jiivátmá into Supreme Consciousness.]

A particular kind of vibration, be it of sound, touch, form, taste or smell, emitted from any material object, is carried to one of the indriyas or gateways of the organs. Suppose you have eaten tamarind, or some plums, or even a certain variety of pumpkin. All three are sour. Different parts of the tongue are sensitive to different types of taste. You feel that all three are sour, but the degree of sourness is not the same in all cases; there is a perceptible difference.

When you eat something sour, a vibration is created in the portion of the tongue which experiences taste. That vibration is then carried through the nervous system to the brain, where it leaves a kind of impression. Up to this point, the whole process is related to the material level, but in a very subtle way. The impression in the brain corresponds to a particular degree of sourness. You ate plums, tamarind and pumpkin and experienced three different types of impressions. Different impressions create different vibrations in the mind. The impression of the plum produces a particular kind of vibration, the tamarind another kind, and the pumpkin yet another. Suppose you ate a second plum, and again there was an impression in the brain – again there was a vibration in the mind. And then you remembered that you had experienced a similar vibration when you ate tamarind. The vibrations that were produced then, which are capable of being recreated later, and the impressions that were formulated in the brain, are collectively known as “memory”. After eating the second plum you also have a similar experience, and you remember eating plums, tamarind, pumpkin or hogplums. Now you experience two vibrations, two similar impressions, but yet they are not exactly alike. A distinction is made: the first plum you ate was more sour than the second one. In this way you form an idea about plums, their different varieties and varying degrees of sourness. Sometimes people recreate that vibration in their minds, drawing it from their memory, and enjoy its pleasurable effect. Greedy people recollect the tasty dishes they once relished and derive pleasure from that. Other people delight in feeding others. They offer rasagollás or sweets, and at the time of giving, imagine that their guest is enjoying the same delightful taste, the same sweet vibration from the rasagollás which they once relished when they ate them. A host feels mental satisfaction by imagining that the guest’s mind is full of those pleasing vibrations. The host wants the guest to enjoy more and more of those delightful vibrations, and therefore asks the guest to accept the offer of more rasagollás. So, one enjoys pleasure in two ways: first, by eating the delicious things; and secondly, by recollecting the pleasing vibrations enjoyed in the past while eating those very same delicacies.

The human mind has two contradictory inherent tendencies: one of acquisition, the other of sacrifice. The more one advances along the path of evolution, the more the second tendency, the spirit of sacrifice, becomes prominent. One wishes to share one’s mental pleasure with others. This is a very interesting aspect of human psychology.

Now, there are also gradations amongst sweets; all varieties of sweets are not equally sweet. There are variations in the degree of sweetness which is exactly what people relish most. While eating different sweets, people experience delightful variations from one sweet to another, and they perceive that the vibrations are somewhat similar but not identical. The sweet-maker understands this particular trait of human psychology and invents new varieties of sweets accordingly. The vibrations created in the mind are abstract, and the other vibrations are material.

The action of knowing occurs through the medium of sound, touch, taste, smell and form. Suppose one listens to something, say a sound representing ásoyárii rága. It is imprinted in the mind. Later that person listens to the same sound and is reminded of the similar vibrations previously experienced. Comparing the one rága (musical notes) with the other, one concludes that the latter is indeed ásoyárii rága. He or she may not know anything about music, but the mind already danced to that musical wave. The musical vibrations of the notes reached the ear’s membrane, hit it, passed through the auricular nerves and, on reaching the brain, left their imprint. So far the knowing process is confined to the material level, but when that same vibration creates a ripple in the mind, it comes within the scope of mental vibrations.

There are certain notations, both in instrumental music and in vocal music, which are very rhythmic. When these sounds strike the ear’s membrane they produce similar vibrations; concordant rhythmic vibrations are experienced. You may have noticed that whenever the members of an audience listen to rhythmic notes, whether from vocal or instrumental music, they move their legs. They do this unknowingly. The cause is that the rhythmic vibration produced in the mind strikes the [efferent] nerves. The vibration that made the mind dance is thus transmitted down to the nerves of the legs. Consequently, the mind is unconsciously causing the legs to move. This happens with everyone; some do it consciously, others unconsciously. Those who do it unconsciously stop the movement of their legs the moment they are aware that others are watching them. In the case of excessive joy or enthusiasm, the mind loses its control over the nerves. For example, suppose two football teams are playing a friendly match, and one of them enjoys your special support. Let us imagine that your favourite team is about to score a goal. At that moment of tense excitement, you will also move your legs, unconsciously of course. You may have noticed that sometimes in their dreams football fans cry out, “Goal! Goal!” jerking their legs and kicking those who are sleeping beside them.

By now you should have understood that a major part of the knowing process is material, and only a small part of it is abstract.

Basically, the mind performs two functions: thinking and memorizing. What is the process of memorizing? Suppose you heard a sound: that very sound leaves an imprint on your mind, and vibrates it. Now, if at a later date you can recreate a similar vibration, a replica of the original one, that is your memory.

Anubhútaviśayásampramośah smrtih [“The re-creation of things already perceived by the mind is called memory”].

The exact mental reproduction of what has been previously perceived is called smrti or memory. For instance, you once perceived an elephant by observing a real elephant and seeing its huge body, legs, eyes, ears, nose and trunk. The physical form of the elephant struck the retina of your eyes creating a vibration in your optical fluid, and was ultimately imprinted in your mind as the image of the elephant. Now some time later when you see an animal with the same type of limbs as those of your previously-perceived elephant, you immediately conclude that this animal must also be an elephant. Your conclusion is based on your previous perception. This is memory. When the memory becomes established, unfailing and spontaneous, it is called dhruvásmrti, or constant memory. Dhruvásmrti, or constant memory, is an essential prerequisite for spiritual samádhi or bliss.

Chapter 5	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

The subject of my discourse is “The Faculty of Knowledge”. The other day I said that knowledge is certainly an action which is exclusively confined neither to the material world nor to the abstract world. Rather, it is a happy blending of the physical and mental strata. The faculty of knowledge stems from anubhava or perception and reaches its highest point in the state of realization.

You can acquire knowledge about an elephant in various ways: either through ocular vision, or by hearing its trumpeting, or even by hearing its footsteps. In all cases, the result is the formation of a mental image of an elephant. In the next stage almost all of your psychic body is metamorphosed into that same mental elephant; only a microscopic portion of the mind remains as the witnessing entity.

Now, how does this happen? Whenever an action of knowing takes place within the arena of the mind, a portion of it plays the subjective role and another portion the objective role. The mind is divided into two chambers: the objective chamber which is formed from almost all the ectoplasmic stuff, and the subjective chamber formed from that portion which is the knowing self.

Suppose you visualize an elephant. In such a situation, a major portion of the mental body is transformed into a mental elephant. In the wakeful state, when your conscious mind remains active, you understand that you are visualizing a mental elephant, but are not aware that your mental body has been converted into that very same elephant.

In dreams one takes the mental elephant to be a real one, because the real world is non-existent. Naturally, in dreams one fabricates a world previously experienced in the wakeful state and accordingly thinks that the things dreamt are real. But if the mind is disturbed as a result of some serious accident or disaster, the dream world is shattered. This mental disturbance may take place in the wakeful state as well as in sleep. For instance, in a dream you may visualize that you are flying high in the sky in a puśpaka rath (a mythological flying chariot). Suddenly the horse of the chariot stops flying and the chariot starts falling like lightning. Now if in a wakeful state your vehicle happened to fall in such a dangerous way, you would be frightened out of your wits. In a dream that same fear makes you jump, and as a result of the jumping, the dream chariot no longer remains intact and you wake up.

The mind takes less time to dream an action than the body does to perform it. That is, it will take you four to five days to go to Delhi, enact a scene and then return; but in a dream it can be completed in a few seconds. This is only because the mind’s speed is greater than that of the body. Perhaps you hardly dreamt for one or two minutes and yet, on completing the dream, you felt as if you had been dreaming for a long time. In fact, you dreamt for only two to three minutes.

Another thing: when a dream-object, an object of imagination, seems to be absolutely real, in such cases there is also a marked change in the personality also. Being obsessed with ghosts is a case in point. People who are obsessed with ghosts think that they have become the ghost. Being possessed by spirits is yet another case of this type: the affected persons think of themselves as a deity. Now, in order to free their minds from the thought of ghosts, one will have to induce a traumatic jolt in their bodies; one will have to create some sort of frightful circumstance that will startle them. Various methods may be used for this purpose, after which they will realize their error: that they wrongly identified themselves with their mental objects.

Sometimes it also happens that when the thought of an object from the natural world comes within the objective chamber of the mind, one’s ectoplasmic stuff becomes so concentrated that it can be utilized in various ways. There are some people who, employing certain methods, misuse their ectoplasmic strength. For instance, they might, with their ectoplasmic strength, cause bones or sticks to fall to the ground, while sitting in a corner some distance away. Common people wrongly take these actions to be those of a ghost. The fact is quite different. If you can locate the persons who are doing this, you should give them a good shaking to completely destroy their ectoplasmic strength. Then they will be forced to stop their roguery. This science of the application of ectoplasmic strength through the objective mind upon external events or objects is known as rákśasii vidyá in Sanskrit.

There is a story in the Rámáyańa to illustrate this point. Once Angada, the son of Bali, went to King Ravana’s court to present his credentials to him. Seated there at the time were King Ravana, his son Meghanatha (otherwise called Indrajit), and his nineteen ministers. When Angada appeared in court, Ravana was there in his usual form, but those nineteen ministers, in order to misguide Angada, began to ideate mentally that they were also Ravana. Angada was very confused since those ministers appeared to him as the exact replicas of Ravana, even though they were actually in their own forms. They were merely ideating inwardly that they looked like Ravana. The impact of such ideating and their collective ectoplasmic strength had its effect on Angada’s mind. Angada started seeing as many as twenty Ravanas sitting in the court. How many Ravanas were there, he wondered in great confusion. (Meghanatha did not think in the same way as the ministers, and hence his form remained unaffected. For how could he think himself to be a replica of Ravana, his own father? So he appeared to be sitting as usual). In this case the nineteen ministers were fully utilizing the ectoplasmic strength of the objective chambers of their respective minds. Their physical bodies were still motionless, just as in spiritual practice when one is required to direct one’s mind towards Parama Puruśa, one is not expected to move, walk, practise sit-ups or push-ups, etc. Angada contrived a plan to create some disturbance in the minds of those assumed personalities, otherwise, how could he distinguish the actual Ravana from the others, and to whom should he submit his credentials? So he decided to anger the ministers in order to make them lose their mental concentration and thus remove their assumed personalities. Addressing Indrajit, Angada said: “Indrajit, my dear friend. I see twenty Ravanas! Is every one of them your father?” This angered all the ministers, and immediately the concentration of the objective chambers of their minds was disturbed and they resumed their original forms.

Something more must be said about the objective mind. The faculty of knowledge, as we know, is the subjectivization of external objectivity. Now, the subjectivization of anything external is the first step towards the supreme subjectivization. When the objective mind first subjectivizes an external elephant, the first phase is the objectivization of mind, and to know that external fact is objective knowledge. Now, is there any other aspect to the faculty of knowledge? Yes, indeed there is.

Various psychic diseases may arise if there is any defect in the process of the objectivization of mind. Remember that psychic disease and brain disease are not the same thing; they are quite different. Brain disease occurs due to some disorder in a part of the brain, or due to a congenital defect, or perhaps due to hereditary causes which hamper the proper formation of the brain. Mental disease is different. It arises due to a disorder in the objectivated mind, in the first stage in the process of subjectivization. Many people who, while creating thoughts in their objectivated minds, repeatedly form the same image out of weakness or fear, suffer from a mental disease called phobia.

Kansa, one week before his death, repeatedly thought of nothing but Krśńa. Whether he liked it or not, his objectivated mind created the image of Krśńa, and he thought that Krśńa would kill him. In whichever direction he looked, be it towards water, land or sky, his objectivated mind created forms of Krśńa, and in this his objectivated mind became stronger than his subjective mind. This meant his mental death, and mental death leads to physical death.

Another case in point is hydrophobia. Suppose a dog has bitten a person and the person has become terribly frightened. His or her objectivated mind sees only the images of dogs, dogs on all sides. This is called hydrophobia.⁽¹⁾ Therefore, humans should have full control over their objectivated minds to avert serious psychic problems.

It often happens that, not due to fear, but because of weakness, the same image repeatedly arises in the mind. This is called mania. Among women in certain countries one such mania occurs: touch-mania. They tell the so-called low caste people, or even their own people, not to touch them, to keep away. While walking they take particular care not to touch or be touched by things considered unholy according to their prejudiced judgement. In these cases, their objectivated minds are full of so-called contaminated objects. As their minds constantly entertain those unclean things, externally they condemn them. They judge people in terms of casteism and thus their minds become dens of impure and mean thoughts. Once I saw a so-called low-caste woman come to show her grandchild to another woman. The latter woman, who was a chronic victim of touch-mania, would not touch the child, but rather bestowed her affection on it keeping a safe distance, and thus maintaining her so-called purity. This is a case of mania.

There was another person I knew who was quite healthy and carried out his daily activities with ease, and yet he was under the impression, for no particular reason, that there was some trouble in his stomach. Actually there was no disease; he was in good health. Yet occasionally he used to come to me and complain that there was some disorder in his stomach. This was his mania.

Moreover, because of problems in the objectivated mind, people suffer from various psychic complexes. For example, there are those who are inclined to think that no one, neither their friends and relatives nor even their domestic animals, cares to think of them. They unnecessarily think that everyone deliberately avoids them, dislikes them, or ignores them, and therefore they become disappointed, dejected, and dispirited. Life loses all its charm and attraction for them, and they may even commit suicide. This type of mania is called melancholia.

A defect in the objectivated mind may also cause inferiority complex or superiority complex. When the objectivated mind becomes large enough to pamper one’s ego, one develops a superiority complex. One starts considering oneself to be superior to others in points of knowledge, the capacity to act, organizational calibre and other qualities of leadership, and unnecessarily slights others. Such a person expects preferential treatment, VIP status, and unquestioning obedience. If by accident their ego is hurt even slightly, they become violently angry. This is another kind of mania.

Conversely, there are those who exert too much control over their objectivated minds, which results in the mind’s constriction. In such a state their minds fail to grasp noble ideas, and such people start considering themselves to be inferior to others in all respects – education, social position, etc. Normally such people become unnecessarily nervous and begin to falter or fumble before their elders and seniors: they lack self-confidence and faith in themselves. This is inferiority complex. The best way to cure such people is to generate self-confidence in them by frequently advising them not to feel inferior to anyone. Slowly, gradually, they will free themselves from their inferiority complex and the feeling of superiority will increase. But one must be careful that, after a certain stage, a superiority complex is not allowed to develop.

Most psychic diseases, if not all, grow out of the defective control over the objectivated mind. If one is alert, any trouble can be avoided. Those who regularly practise Iishvara prańidhána or dhyána (meditation) can remain free from these diseases, as their minds will remain in a balanced state. One of the numerous benefits of sádhaná is that it keeps the mind free from psychic disease and encourages the natural growth of the mind. This is of tremendous importance since such problems may arise not only in individual life, but in collective life as well. Individual human beings as well as large communities often suffer from some sort of psychic disease. A subjugated people suffer from an inferiority complex towards the sovereign elite, the ruling class. When India was a dependent colony, many Indians used to describe the members of the ruling community as God’s children, obviously due to their deep-rooted inferiority complex. Most of them wondered: “Will India ever see the light of freedom? When will we ever win the struggle against the ruling class?” This shows that the entire indigenous community was a victim of inferiority complex, the removal of which would require a group of leaders endowed with enormous mental strength and noble character – a group of mighty personalities. India at that time was not fortunate enough to have such great people, and that is why the struggle for Indian freedom had to be prolonged. Otherwise, India could have gained freedom in a much shorter time.

I say all this because psychic diseases, as I have just pointed out, affect not only individuals but collective bodies as well. You must remain vigilant so that in your individual life you do not become the victim of a psychic disease, and so that if there is any such psychic disease in collective life, you see that it is eliminated.

Footnotes

(1) Hydro means “water”. Patients see the objects of their fears especially if they happen to look in water. –Eds.

Chapter 6	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

For some time we have been discussing the topic “The Faculty of Knowledge.”

A great deal has been said about the objectivated mind. Many things may be created in both the objectivated and subjectivated minds which do not belong to the external world; they are exclusively confined to the internal domain. They are created within the mind, and there they remain as mental objects. They become objectivated in the mind independent of any external influence. Imagine we see an elephant in the external world. When it is created in the mind, that elephant becomes an object of the objectivated mind. The subjective counterpart of the mind visualizes it, and compares it with the elephant which it had previously seen in the external world, until the mind is satisfied that it is indeed the same elephant. We are convinced that the elephant we observed ten days ago and the one we see today are the same in appearance. While comparing the two elephants in our mind we conclude that the elephant which has just now been formed in our objectivated mind is the exact replica of the one formed in our objectivated mind on a previous occasion; thus we conclude that we are visualizing the same elephant.

It may also happen that an elephant is recreated in the mind without its even being visible in the external world. From where is the image created? From an external source, of course. The elephant previously perceived can be recreated in the mind. We use various words for this action – such as “conception”. We can use anubhava for this kind of thing, but in Sanskrit we usually say anubhúti. Anu means “after” and bhúti means “becoming”. If anu is spelt as ańu it means “molecule”. The root verb sr means “to go”, or “to move”, and therefore the meaning of anusarańa is “going after”, or “following”. The place where we walk, along which we move, is called saraka, which many people misspell as saŕaka. Sarańii means a narrow road. When it is broad it is known as saraka. In Sanskrit the prefix upa means “near”. So upasaraka means “that way which is nearly the same size as a road.” Similarly, there are the words nagarii (city), upanagarii (small town), devatá (god), and upadevatá (demigod). The last word, upadevatá, does not exactly mean “god”. We only say it does, through fear. The actual meaning of the word is “ghost” or “spirit”. Similarly we say upakańt́há. Kańt́há means “throat”, and upakańt́há means “a point or place near the throat.” Upasarańii means “lane” which in Persian is called gali. In Bengali the word gali is widely used. Suppose someone is walking along, and you are following him. This may be described as anusarańa.

In the present case, when you see an elephant, its umbra is reflected in your objectivated mind, and you visualize that image. Later, maybe after ten or twenty days or one year, or even after twenty years, you recreate a similar image of the elephant in your mind. This means that you had an anubhava of the elephant. Anu means “afterwards”, and bhava means “becoming”. Anubhútaviśayásampramośah smrtih – “Memory is the reproduction of things already perceived,” the re-creation of the same mental formation that was once created in the objectivated mind. Imagine that you listened to a particular rága. That same rága can be sung in various styles, just as a ráginii can be sung in different styles. The same rága or ráginii may be sung in various styles in different towns and localities. That particular style of music prevalent in a particular place is called a particular gharáńá or school of music.

Suppose you have listened to a particular melody, a rága. When the notes are systematized, they become a rága. Different tunes derived from special rágas are called ráginiis. Because of the differences in rágas and ráginiis, Indian music has been classified into two schools: Hindustani and Karnataka. But this is not our topic of discussion here.

Take the case of kiirtana. Kiirtana was popular in Bengal even before the birth of Mahaprabhu. People in certain areas of Bengal are used to doing kiirtana in a distinct local style. In one style, the first portion of the kiirtana may be pleasing to the ear, and the latter portion somewhat monotonous. In another style, the beginning may be ordinary, the middle excellent, and the end similar to the beginning. In yet another style, the concluding portion may be exceedingly charming; its melody, even after the music is over, continues to ring in the listeners’ ears. What does this ringing signify? That is part of the faculty of knowledge.

In Bengal, there are different schools of kiirtana such as Manoharshahii Gharáńá, Reneti Gharáńá, Garanaháta Gharáńá, and Mandárań Gharáńá. Bengali kiirtana has been classified into four schools. According to some, Manoharshahii Gharáńá belongs to Birbhum; according to others, it belong to Orissa. Haráńhátá is a locality of Calcutta. Reneti is a distortion of “Ranihati”, a developed village of Howrah District. Kiirtana was very popular there. Mandárań refers to the place known as Garhmandárań situated in Arambag Subdivision of Hooghly District. This place is mentioned in Bankim Chandra’s novel, Durgesh Naninii.

Suppose you are listening to someone doing kiirtana according to the Mandárań style. The vibration of that particular kiirtana creates a sympathetic vibration in your ears, and a sensation is produced in your auricular nerves. Those vibrations are carried to the brain where they produce a corresponding vibration, which is also finally reproduced in the mind. You then ask someone: “What is this school of kiirtana?” He or she replies, “This is the Mandárań school”, and you associate that kiirtana with the Mandárań school in your mind. You decide inwardly that whenever this type of vibration is produced, it will be Mandárań Gharáńá. And perhaps some time later, when that very same style of kiirtana is sung, the brain and mind vibrate with that very same vibration, and you say to yourself, “Well, it seems to be Mandárań Gharáńá. Someone told me this when I listened to this style of kiirtana some time ago.” So many things happened in quick succession in such a short span of time that you were not even aware of yourself having analysed and compared things in order to reach such a conclusion.

How does this happen? On the first hearing, the mind becomes transformed into the kiirtana, the mind itself becomes the kiirtana. At the second hearing, the mind again takes the form of the Mandárań Gharáńá style of kiirtana. When your mind can associate the second transformed state with the first, it is called “memory”. If someone asks you to sing a kiirtana in the style of Mandárań Gharáńá you will transform your mind into the Mandárań Gharáńá kiirtana in the same way as before, and accordingly you will sing the kiirtana. Those who are not well-versed in music would not be able, at the time of the second rendering of the Mandárań Gharáńá, to express it themselves because that mode of expression is either unknown to them, or simply beyond their capacity.

A similar thing happens when you taste or smell something. Suppose you have just eaten a mango. Afterwards you will say, “To which variety of mango does this one belong? Lyáḿŕá, Bombay, kiśáńbhog, kapát́bháḿgá or Bhutu Bombay? Ah yes, I’ve tasted mangoes of this variety before. And its name… It’s in my mind but I can’t say now.” And so, you cannot continue the conversation properly. Almost all of us have had this experience before. “I have seen this man before… I have even heard his name… It is in my mind, but unfortunately I’m having trouble finding it and expressing it.” In this situation you would like your mind, your brain, to vibrate so that you can recapture the vibration you originally experienced. You cannot shake your brain with your own hands. It is humanly impossible. While attempting to cause a vibration in your brain, you vigorously shake your head – this is the reason why you do so. I will explain it in more detail at some later time.

When you reconvert your mind into sound, touch, form, taste or smell, it is called smrti or memory. Whenever you smell kanakcánpa, your mind is transformed into that very same smell. And so, when you encounter kanakcánpa for the second time, your mind again takes its form; the smell also returns. You compare the two vibrations and conclude that this is indeed kanakcánpa. This is memory.

Mental creations are those objects evoked by the subjective mind and retained within the objectivated mind.

Suppose you listen to a poem: your mind is transformed into the idea of the poem – the mind flows along with both the idea and the rhythm of the poem. Now, in the second phase, the mind, while flowing along with the idea and the rhythm, will be transformed into that very same idea and rhythm, and it will be easier to hold the poem in the mind. Another example is a student who is reading during the examination period: his eyes are locating the words and becoming the words. Suppose the boy is reading the sentence: “I once met a lame man close to my farm.” If he understands the meaning then the pictures of an old man, a farm, etc., will occur in his mind. So, he is experiencing the second phase. Then again, if that boy reads aloud, he hears the sound with his own ears. The sympathetic vibration reaches the brain through the ears and then through the acoustic nerves. The mind is then converted into that sound once again. It gets converted twice, once through the eyes, and once through the ears. The result will be more effective memorization. So it is better for examination candidates to read aloud so that they can hear the sound of their own reading; but novels and fiction can be read silently.

As I have already mentioned, when anyone says something, the eyes are engaged in seeing, the ears in hearing; and the mind dances in rhythm. In the absence of rhythm it is difficult to memorize. That is why since ancient times, for fifteen thousand years, the common practice has been to bring every valuable branch of knowledge within the scope of rhythm. Human beings do not easily forget rhythm. One may forget the contents of knowledge, but not the rhythm. That is why all Vedic rks were composed in 7 metres: Gáyattrii, Uśńik, Triśt́up, Anuśt́up, Brhati, Jagati and Paunkti. All literary compositions were brought within the gamut of these seven Vedic metres. And different figures of speech, particularly alliteration and punctuation, are all highly important, because they are valuable for the memory. If we say, “He shall be punished,” it is easy to remember for there is assonance of the “s”. “On Saturday, a goldsmith saw a snake near Satyasarai, and on Sunday a shoemaker severely assaulted a saintly person with a shoe.” There is assonance on the sound, or wave, “s”. “I came to Patna junction, and I came to the conclusion that the matriculation examination is a botheration.” There is consonance and assonance of the sound “tion”. Consider the Bengali poem:

Áji utarol uttar báye
Utalá hayeche tat́inii
Sonár álok paŕiyáche jale
Pulaki uchali d́heu chalachale
Lakśa máńik jhalasi áncale
Nece cale yena nat́inii.⁽¹⁾

Such poems are easy to remember for they quickly become imprinted in our memory. The science of figures of speech was invented in the past mainly for this purpose, not only to make the words sweet-sounding, but also to help us grasp them quickly.

Footnotes

(1) This is a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore in rhythmic resonance. –Eds.

Chapter 7	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

The third chamber or factor of knowledge is the subjective mind (the second being the objective mind). But the fundamental entity behind this faculty of knowledge is the Supreme Subject. This entity is the noumenal factor behind each and every action, but it does nothing by itself. Everything takes place because of His presence. His presence is an obligatory prerequisite for everything. It can be compared to the catalyst in a scientific experiment. Though the catalytic agent itself has no direct role, its presence makes the whole process work very smoothly, and thus it is a great help. While preparing makaradhvaja (a special Indian áyurvaedik medicine) gold is added. Gold is not mixed directly with the makaradhvaja, but its presence in the process is essential. Similarly, behind the faculty of knowledge, behind the action of knowing, behind the function of the objective mind and the subjective mind, there is invariably the presence of the Supreme Subjectivity which makes all things work smoothly, and without which nothing can happen. This Entity can neither be called the subjectivated mind, nor the objectivated mind; He is only a presence, a distinguishing presence. He may be likened, as it were, to the head of a family celebrating marriage. He does not do anything specific, he neither cooks, nor distributes the food, nor busies himself in any particular work, and yet he is still the central figure, the supreme guide of the whole celebration, overseeing, supervising and directing everyone and everything everywhere, sitting silently on a chair in one corner of the house. Apparently he is inactive, but it is his commanding presence alone which keeps all the participants in the celebration alert. Those people who are allotted specific duties carry them out properly to the satisfaction of the head of the house. Likewise, the Supreme Entity is also the Supreme Subject.

The subjectivated mind is the witnessing counterpart of the objectivated mind, and may take its object both from the external physical world and the internal psychic world. It may create an object within itself; it can convert its own subject into an object. For example, you see an elephant in the outside world; your objective mind takes its form, and your subjective mind witnesses it. This is one aspect. Later, though there is no elephant in the external world, you may engage a portion of your mind in taking the form of an elephant. You can visualize that imaginary elephant of your mind and argue within yourself: “Well, the trunk is all right but one of the tusks seems to be a little small, I’ll make them the same length.” And so you make the smaller one a little larger. All this is done within the mind.

“The other day Rambabu said so many unpleasant things to me. I should have spoken back, but instead I kept silent, swallowing the insults. In future, if I meet him again, and the same unpleasant thing happens, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.” Here, one becomes as one perceives.

Suppose you went to visit your aunt, and at the time of departure she did not request you to visit her again. In your mind you utter the following words to the mental image of your aunt: “I shall not visit you any more.” If she asks why, I shall say, “Oh no, I shall not go to your place.” These words are said mentally to the aunt of your mental creation. But the real aunt remains far away, completely ignorant of what you are thinking.

Now the question is: can the unit subjective mind ever know or think of the Supreme Subjectivity? In the world of humans we notice that those people participating in a celebration, or in-charges having specific duties, never sit idly looking towards the Supreme, the Supreme Subjectivity. If those to whom special roles have been allotted do not act properly, the Supreme Head will be displeased. He will be all the more displeased if you sit idly, looking towards Him with a vacant expression. Moreover, if you tell Him, flatteringly, “How kind you are, how merciful! How fine you look in your gorgeous apparels and ornaments!” He will say in reply, “What audacity! Stop this silly nonsense.” It is most improper to treat the Supreme Subjectivity in this way.

Now, let us discuss this from the psychological point of view. The subjective mind is the objective mind’s subjective counterpart; that is to say, the objective mind is the “known” and the subjective mind the “knower”. Similarly, in the case of the relationship between the unit subjectivity and the Supreme Subjectivity, the former is the known and the latter the knower. The snake looks at the frog. The snake is the subject, and the frog the object. The frog watches the mosquito. The frog is the subject, the mosquito the object. The mosquito looks at the dew-drop. The mosquito is the subject, the dew-drop the object. But the snake itself is not aware that it is being watched by the peacock; and the peacock is not aware that it is being watched by the fowler. The fowler is the subject, the peacock the object. Nobody looks at the subject. This is the usual practice in the world. Had people chosen to look at the subject, everything would be in proper order.

It has been said earlier that everything takes place within the mental arena of the Supreme Subjectivity. The objective counterpart, too, is within the Cosmic Mind. In other words, all the objectivities of the world together are the object of the Supreme Subjectivity.

A boy is studying. While doing so the thought may pass through his mind that if he does not pass his examination he will have to face much criticism, and he will have to repeat the same class, along with boys younger in age who may then no longer respect him for his seniority as they did in the past. These mental thoughts may help his concentration of mind; that is, such thoughts keep the objective and subjective minds engaged, no doubt, but they create a bifurcation in the mind. One mental flow is engaged in memorizing the subjects being studied, while another mental flow entertains various other thoughts such as: “What will my parents and seniors say if I fail in the examination? The juniors in my locality will cease to respect me, they will say all kinds of unpleasant things…” and so on. Obviously that boy’s mental power has become bifurcated. What should a wise person do in such circumstances? He should think nothing else except: “I will memorize whatever I’m reading now, without bothering about my gains if I succeed or my losses if I fail in the task. I will not allow any portion of my mind to flow in an undesirable direction, and thus I will keep my mind exclusively engrossed in the task of learning.”

In the case of unit beings, what should the subjective mind do when it sees something in the external world? It should see it, and know it perfectly. When you convert a portion of your subjective mind into an object, it can be done perfectly. So, at the time of learning something, you should empty your mind of all other thoughts, giving full importance to what is being learned. Then, in the future, when you attempt to convert your subjective mind into objective mind, you will do it well because, when you received the objectivities of the external world, you were fully concentrated. As a result, you will develop your thinking capacity.

Now, along with thinking comes the question of retention. For example, after reading 200 pages of a book you will surely forget 199 of them. You cannot remember even one complete page, not even one full sentence. You are likely to confuse this word with that. What is the cause? The cause is that you did not pay full attention. Then how can you become more attentive? Usually you acquire academic knowledge by studying with the help of the eyes. To aid the process of memorization, however, you may also use your tongue. That is, while reading loudly, two sense organs are used, the eyes and the tongue, and thus you will derive a double benefit. Moreover, if you read aloud, your ears will also hear those sounds, and thus this method of reading is more beneficial for students. In the case of fiction and plays, however, it is better to read silently. And moreover, there is a special advantage with silent reading: the parents are unaware of what their children are reading.

As I said before, retention is facilitated by reading aloud: one can have great control over the objective mind, the objectivated subjective mind, and all that the objective mind receives as its object from the objective or objectivated subjective world. Often part of the incoming message is lost due to a defective vibration of the nerve cells. This is purely a physical defect of the human body, and to rectify it, one will have to adopt physical means to make the brain function properly; and for this there are certain physical processes. If you are interested in those, I can help you.

Moreover, when psychic vibrations are carried through different nerves – optical, auricular, the nerves of the tongue, etc. – they often need proper adjustment. For example, some people may be able to see things distinctly and read with ease and yet not be able to hear very well. In such a case, the vibrational wave that comes through the ears has trouble adjusting with the optical nerves. A particular man may have a bit of a stammer: he does not pronounce words as distinctly as he sees them with his eyes. There is a maladjustment which can be rectified if a psychic approach is adopted. Here the physical approach would not be appropriate. Physical waves cannot bring a mutual adjustment amongst themselves; for that psychic pressure is required. By exerting this psychic pressure the maladjustment can be rectified. For this there are two approaches: (1) pure psychic approach and (2) psycho-spiritual approach.

[The following section was also printed separately as “Saḿgiita – Excerpt B” in Saḿgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music. This is the Saḿgiita: Song, Dance and Instrumental Music, 1st edition, version.]

What is the pure psychic approach? When you receive an object or an idea through either the ocular or auricular nerves you should bring it into a certain rhythm: your object of vision or ideation should dance rhythmically. Such a rhythmic vibration can rectify the defects in the eyes, ears and tongue. For this very purpose the rágas and rágińiis were created: whatever the mind receives through rhythm and melody brings about this proper adjustment. There is no scope for any deviation this way or that. On this basis, Sadáshiva developed the science of musical notes, svara shástra or svarodaya, or shabda shástra. Due to the strict rules as outlined in svara shástra, there is no room for any deviation at the time of singing. If any deviation is attempted, one will have to break the established rules.

While attempting to go beyond the set rules, kheyál was invented and in adjustment with tál (metre), gazal was composed. Indo-Aryan music is based on a system, a rhythm; there is no room for any mistake, no scope for deviation.

When kiirtana first began to develop, it did not have any hard and fast rules, just as folk songs do not conform to hard and fast rules. [[Kiirtana adopted hard and fast rules later on.]] Just as the different schools (gharáńá) of rága and ráginii evolved out of various rhythmic expressions, similarly, as soon as kiirtana was brought within the framework of fixed rules, it came to be elevated from folk music to classical music.

[end of section that was printed separately as “Saḿgiita – Excerpt B”]

Another aspect of the psychic approach is that when you want to memorize something, you should subdivide the matter into meaningful parts or components. Suppose a boy wants to memorize the spelling of the word “assassination”. He may have some difficulty because the word is lengthy and difficult to remember; there is a good chance of omitting one of the letters. Therefore, the word can be split into four parts: ass-ass-i-nation. Now, as the boy already knows the meaning of all four words, he will easily memorize its spelling. This is another aspect of the pure psychic approach.

Next is the psycho-spiritual approach which strengthens the memory, and makes the intellect omniscient. A good way to stabilize the memory is to meditate on someone you have seen or heard about who possesses a unique photographic memory. This will increase your own memory.

Now the question arises: how can we know the Supreme Subjectivity? If we simply look towards that Subject who remains the witnessing entity and goads us all into action, He will be displeased. He will say: “Go and do some work.” It is enough if we only think that the Subject is watching each action we are doing. By ideating that the Supreme Subjectivity is watching everything, we are thinking of Him as well, and this idea itself becomes objectivated. The Supreme Subject does not become objectivated, but the thought of the Supreme Subjectivity does. Ultimately, the best way to meditate on Parama Puruśa, or remember Him, is to bear in mind that, in actions big or small, significant or insignificant, in wakeful state or in sleep, in dream or in reality, the Supreme Subjectivity is maintaining a constant and close watch on me. Thereby the subjectivity as such does not come within your objectivated mind, but the ideation of the Supreme Subjectivity becomes objectivated. When this ideation becomes clear, stable and permanent, then one fine morning you will see that you have become one with the Supreme Subjectivity. And this is the final stage of the faculty of knowledge.

Chapter 8	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

Human history is made by the collective urge or collective psychology. In the past the popular concept of history was that a certain king or queen ruled for a certain period and fought a few battles; some they won, others they lost; and they killed others or they were killed themselves. But the modern concept of history is quite different. History these days is not merely the history of monarchs. History also comprises all kinds of people and their psychic urges and psychic movements.

In primitive society men and women enjoyed equal freedom. Subsequently women had greater importance and a social order emerged which can be called both matriarchal and matrilineal. In a later period the importance of physical strength became more important than any other attribute. Obviously, the males having greater physical strength, became more important than the females. This gave rise to the social order which can be called patriarchal and patrilineal. But in this modern age people are experiencing that physical strength is becoming less important than intellectual power. Previously people would apply great physical stamina to operate a hammer, but today the electric hammer is one hundred times more powerful than an iron hammer – an electric hammer operates by turning a simple electric button. This illustrates that the importance of intellect is increasing.

Well, there is now the question of how the awakening of women will take place. Let me say a few words about the future. The awakening of women will bring about equal rights between the sexes. Nobody will be considered superior or inferior. What will be given utmost importance is keenness of intellect and that keen intellect will not necessarily be the exclusive quality of men alone or women alone. Whoever will have keen intellect will gain pre-eminence in society. Of course, in this regard all persons will not be equal.

History is made by collective psychology. The days of the monarchy are gone – in those days the queen or king was the focal point of history, and history was the history of monarchs. In later times history was the history of ministers. Soon a period will come when history will move around common people.

In the days of the monarchy one could hardly think that history could be written excluding kings and queens. Even now, where there is no monarchy, the government houses are called “Rajbhavan” or “royal house”, and people cannot keep themselves free from the illusion of the word “rája”. In one town I noticed a signboard which was “Rájánukúl Háspátál” meaning “Royal Hospital”. In former days, in the Deyani Khan, monarchs and nobles were prominent, but now government employees are prominent, which gave rise to the term “secretariat”. Similarly, among the common people a new awakening will come, a keen intellect and wisdom will emerge, and a new pattern of history will be the result. In fact, a new pattern of history has already started to emerge, and in the future this development will undergo further change.

You should remember that in human society nobody is insignificant, nobody is negligible. Even the life of a 100-year-old lady is valuable. In the universal society she is an important member – she is not to be excluded. We may not be able to make a correct appraisal of her importance and we may wrongly think that she is a burden to society, but this sort of defective thinking displays our ignorance. There is a historical necessity for everything, but we do not bother finding that historical necessity out. Had we bothered, we could ascertain the historical necessity behind every incident, behind every trough and crest of this universe.

If we think deeply and try to trace the significance of different events we shall find that nothing in this universe is useless. Everything is happening with a definite message for the future, with a great potentiality for the future. Nothing in this universe is insignificant, nothing is to be belittled. Atoms and molecules were once considered very small and insignificant, but after the invention of atom bombs people started dreading the same atoms. No one really knows how much potentiality this or that object has. One can get an exact idea of the potentiality of something only after a thorough investigation. In this world everything comes to fulfil a historical necessity. Ananda Marga has also come to fulfil a historical necessity.

When I was a young boy – that was long, long ago – there was large-scale injustice in all walks of social life. In music, literature and cinema there were clear signs of social degeneration. There was widespread exploitation – imperialistic exploitation, social exploitation, economic exploitation – all types of exploitation. The position of women was very bad. Some time ago women were even deprived of their voting rights. In India women had voting rights in the Licchavi republic in Vaishali in Bihar [[Licchavi was the first republic in the world, about 2500 years ago]], but they were not allowed to contest elections. Everywhere there was a sentiment to restrict the prestige of women. In no country were equal rights granted to women by law. Only today have women acquired certain rights through some struggle. Some exploitative males (all males were not exploiters, many of them were quite rational) wanted women to live in an exploited position, and they were not inclined to grant freedom to women. They thought that women were not entitled to liberation or salvation. In their opinion females should serve males. Perhaps in their next life or one or two lifetimes after that, they might be reborn as males and only then attain salvation. Just imagine the audacity and villainy of these males. They invented ways to exploit women by permanently injecting inferiority complexes into their minds. Now all their mischievousness stands exposed. There are many other examples of women’s exploitation. According to the laws of France women were not allowed to ascend the throne. In the days of Manu,[[⁽¹⁾]] husbands would beat their wives with a shoe, but today one would resent it and protest against it.

A fast change in the collective psychology is taking place. In human society the value of intellect is considered much greater than that of physical strength. This intellect is not only with a handful of people, but is in our collective life. Because of the development of intellect, the change in collective psychology will be very comprehensive and very quick.

Footnotes

(1) [[Manu was the author of the Manusmrti, an authoritative collection of social rules, customs and etiquette for Hindus. He lived about two thousand years ago. –Trans.]]

Chapter 9	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

The subject of today’s discourse is, “Renaissance in all the strata of life.”

The real meaning of the word “renaissance” is reawakening. That is, humanity was sleeping, and now it must wake up from that cimmerian slumber and do something in all the spheres of life, in all the strata of existence.

There are three important strata in life: the physical stratum, the psychic stratum and the spiritual stratum. In the physical stratum, there are many strata: say, scientific achievement, social progress, political life, economic life, culture life. People often say that this twentieth century is the century of science. No, it is not the truth. Human life has been associated with science from the prehistoric era, from the very birth of humanity on this earth about one million years ago, and not only in this twentieth century. And as long as there will be a single human being, there will be an age of science.

Nowadays science means creating new weapons – strengthening the hands of warmongers; but the spirit of science should not be like this, and at the start, in the primordial phase of human life, it was not so. Yes, there is necessity of weapons – weapons not for strengthening the hands of warmongers, but for providing security for good ideas, good thoughts and good persons. Science should be just like art: science for service and beatitude. Art for service and beatitude, I said; and now I say, science is also for service and beatitude. Science should always be utilized for the proper progress of human society.

Then the social. In the social sphere there are several sub-strata, and the real spirit of social progress is to dispel all social disparities. Each and every member of the human society should enjoy equal rights as members of the same family, but there is disparity and it is the duty of the Renaissance movement to dispel the disparity and bring about equality, equilibrium and equipoise amongst human beings.

There are disparities, disparities of different types and different kinds. For instance, there are biological disparities existing in the society, which are being encouraged by certain selfish persons. The biological disparity between human and animal, between human and plant, between animal and plant – that disparity must not be there. Just as a human being wants to survive, a pigeon also wants to survive – similarly a cow also wants to survive, or a tree. Just as my life is dear to me, so the lives of created beings are also equally dear to them. It is the birthright of human beings to live in this world, and it is the birthright of the animal world and plant world also to remain on this earth. To recognize this right, and to get it recognized by the entire human society, the Renaissance movement will have to do something concrete.

Then there is disparity due to birth – disparity between people of higher caste and people of so-called lower caste. People of a particular country die of starvation, and people of another country die due to overeating due to voracity. It is a disparity – it is bad. It is a creation of selfish people, not of Parama Puruśa. The Renaissance movement will have to do something concrete in this respect also. All are equal, with equal glamour as human beings.

Now, difference of colour. Due to geographical conditions, due tm historical facts, there are differences in colour. A particular human beings may be of white complexion, someone black, someone very black, someone yellow. It is not an innate difference, it is an external difference. Why should there be a special type of scripture based on these differences? No, there must not be any difference of colour, or any social disparity because of difference of colour.

Now, there is the sex difference. Females are debarred from many socio-political rights. You know, a few hundred years ago they had no voting rights in many countries of the world. Why? They are also human beings – they also have the same rights as men. Renaissance people will have to start a movement for social equality and fight against such inequality based on sexual difference. Are women like cattle, or sacks of cloth that people give as gifts at the time of marriage? Are they slaves to be sold to others? As long as women lacked courage or intellect, they tolerated these things – but what a great humiliation! To submit them to such indignities is far worse than to whip them publicly on the road. Are women simply like bundles of cloth to be sent to the washerman’s house? Women must not be suppressed, and there should not be domination of males in the society. Society should have a cooperative leadership, not a subordinated leadership; there should be a coordinated, cooperative leadership, leadership between males and females. Renaissance people will have to start a movement immediately to fight against all these disparities; otherwise if fifty percent of the population, that is the ladies, remain downtrodden, how can there be all-round progress of human society? So these are all the social duties, the social responsibilities of the Renaissance movement. Renaissance people will have to wage war on these disparities, these inequalities – they will have to be rooted out of the society.

In political life, a group of people exploit another group of people of the same country, or of some other country. There is political inequality. Still there is a sort of economic polarization, economic exploitation, and not only that, there are social and cultural disparities, and social and cultural exploitation also. Renaissance people will have to bring this fact to the notice of one and all: this disparity cannot be supported by good thinking, by right thinking people, and so we will not support it. Yes, in the political sphere, there should be the rule of moralist people, for immoralist people cannot lead the society: they cannot goad the people onto the path of righteousness. And this political life should also be based on universalism, without forgetting the fact that a particular area of the world has its own particular problems and its own particular conditions.

Economic life. In economic life there is extreme inequality and exploitation. Although colonialism no longer exists openly in the political and economic spheres till it persists indirectly, and this should not be tolerated. The Renaissance movement will have to do something in this respect. You should remember that in economic life, we will have to guarantee the minimum requirements to one and all. There cannot be any second thought, there cannot be any sort of adjustment as far as this point is concerned. The minimum purchasing requirement must be guaranteed to all. Today these fundamental essentialities are not being guaranteed. Rather, people are being guided by deceptive economic ideas like outdated Marxism, which has proved ineffective in practical life, and has not been successfully implemented in any corner of the world. Why do people still believe in such a theory, which has never been proved successful? The time has come for people to make a proper assessment whether they are being misguided or not.

Then comes one of the important points: cultural life. What is culture? Culture is the collection of different expressions of human life. The culture of the entire human race is one, but there are different local expressions. This difference in local expressions does not mean that people of different corners of the earth have different cultures – culture is the same, but the expressions vary.

Education is a part of cultural life. Education should be free, and education must be based on universalism. While imparting education you should also remember that there are certain local conditions, local problems and local requirements; so while formulating the educational structure, we should do everything remembering this fundamental fact.

So you see, the scope of the Renaissance movement is vast, and you will have to start your work from this very moment: it brooks no delay.

There are the different types of inequalities prevailing in the physical world. In the psychic world also there are so many ailments, and Renaissance people will have to wage war against these inequalities and man-made differences. There must be progress in the psychic realm, in the psychic arena. In the psychic arena, the progress should be unbarred and unaffected. There are so many ailments in the psychic sphere. You see, in the psycho-physical sphere, many people are guided by – rather goaded by – dogmas. Dogmas have taken root in the human mind. People cannot get rid of these false ideas because they have been injected into their minds since childhood. As a result, one human society is divided into different nations, and one nation is divided into different religions; religions also have different castes, and caste also have different sub-castes – what kind of situation is this? We have only learned how to divide and subdivide humanity, and we never learned how to unite the people. This is all due to the defective teachings of dogmas.

Some people think that the particular group of people to which they belong are the blessed beings of Parama Puruśa, and others are cursed beings. This is a very bad type of dogma opportunists have introduced all this. Renaissance people will have to fight against these dogmas, and carry on the struggle endlessly. For that, they may have to confront numerous obstacles, censure and humiliation, but they will have to move on undaunted and unaffected. Dogmas are psycho-physical diseases.

Then there are physico-psychic ailments. Some people argue that animals have been created by Parama Puruśa for our food. I knew a certain person who used to say that if people do not eat goats’ meat, the world would become populated only by goats. And others said that if people don’t eat chickens, there would not be even a single inch of space on this earth – it would be filled with chickens! Now my point is, even though human beings do not eat vultures, is there a crowd of vultures in the world? How foolish such people are! People don’t eat earthworms – has there been an uncontrollable growth of earthworms on earth? Only out of excessive greed, people eat chickens and goats and are simply searching for logic to support their actions and cover up their weakness. This sort of cunning will not do. In the mobility of the psychic world, there are certain defective thoughts prevailing – that we humans are destined to rule this earth, and the creatures are destined to be ruled by us. You will have to fight against this type of psychology with the help of your strong weapon. What is that weapon? Neohumanism. All have the equal right to live here: this universe is for all. It is not the patrimony of human beings only. This is also the duty of Renaissance people.

Then there is the progress in the pure psychic level. In the pure psychic level, defective thoughts prevail in human society, and as a result, an individual or a group of people often try to suppress or oppress others. Due to this type of defective psychology, a vast section of the populace suffers from psychic depression. The Renaissance movement will have to be active against this sort of exploitation, and it will have to save human society from the clutches of these defective philosophies. These ailments should be removed and dispelled from the minds of human beings.

There may be another disease, another psychic ailment, and that is in the psycho-spiritual stratum. In the psycho-spiritual stratum, the movement is a pinnacled one; that is, all ideas coincide in a particular point, and that point moves towards the Supreme Entity. But the movement is certainly a synthetic one, not analytic. However, if the movement is extroversial, the path naturally becomes an analytic one, and that is dangerous. In the name of psycho-spiritual approach, in the false name of religion, disparities are created in the human society, differences are created between human beings. In the name of religion so many sanguinary battles were fought in the past, and even now people belonging to one religious group cannot rely on other groups, or pay credence to other groups. Thus one should remember that only the pinnacled Entity, the apexed Entity is our Saviour – He is the only goal of our life. This is the panacea for all psychic ailments.

And the third stratum is the spiritual stratum. In this stratum the natural path is to convert everything into spirituality. This conversion should be in the realm of learning, in the realm of language, in the realm of studies, in the realm of solidarity. That is, in every arena of our spiritual life, this conversion should take place – the conversion of your entire existence, the parts and portions of your existence, into spirituality. But due to defective philosophy, defective guidance, people forget this fact, and they convert spirit into mind and mind into matter. That is, they take the path of negative Pratisaiṋcara [devolution], and that is detrimental to the cause of human progress.

Renaissance people will have to raise their voices against this, and they will have to do it now – they will have to do it immediately. And I also desire that you all should move on the path of Renaissance, which is fully supported by rationality, from today – from this very moment. Let victory be yours.

Chapter 10	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

The subject of today’s discourse is, “The Poles Shift their Respective Positions.” Cardinal human principles are almost unchangeable. I say almost unchangeable because they always maintain a tactual relationship with the cosmological order and so the cardinal human principles or cardinal points of human existence do not undergo any change or physical metamorphosis. But this is not the case with the physical body. In the realm of physicality, in the arena of physical emanations, such a change may take place, and in the past took place several times in the history of this planet Earth, and also in the history of so many other planets, stars, satellites, nebula, etc. In the physical sphere change is the order of existence. In the psychic sphere, there is change in the collective structure, but because that change maintains a link with the cosmological order, with cosmic conation, it is not so prominent as that of the physical sphere.

Take the case of our poles: the poles may shift their positions. In the past, such a shifting took place several times – in the annals of this planet and also in the history of so many other planets. As a result of this shifting, as a result of this changing, the people say that satellites moved in and out of this earth when its outer crust, its lithospherical body, was not so solid as it is now. And some are of the opinion that as a result of this emergence of the Earth’s lithospherical body, the Pacific Ocean was created. According to old astronomy and also astrology, Mars also came out of this Earth, but it did not move around the Earth as its satellite. And that is why a name for Mars is Kuja: Shani raja Kuja mantrii (Saturn is the king, Mars is the minister). Ku means earth and Kuja means born out of ku. So in the physical sphere such a change took place in the past and will take place in the future.

The poles shift their positions. Now as a result of this shifting in the past, so many times, the time taken by the Earth in moving around itself varies, and also the time taken by the Earth in the moving around the sun – that is, its year – also changed. Day and night together were not of 24 hours, and the year was not of 365/366 days. So as a result of this change in polar positions, seasonal order also changed and its relationship with Mars varied so many times. And the order of our calendar, the system of our calendar had to be changed in the past. If the poles change their positions, the time taken by the Earth to move around itself will certainly be either lessened or increased. And similarly the time taken by the Earth in moving around the sun will either increase or decrease. That is why sometimes we see the seasonal orders are not maintaining proper adjustment with the months: this shows that the shifting is taking place fast. Now as result of this change, not only the adjustment between the months and the seasons will be lost, but the environmental order as well as the ecological order of the Earth will be disrupted. And as a result of this disruption, there must be physical and biological changes in the structures of all living bodies, all living creatures, including plants. The plants of Tertiary Age could not be found in the Cretaceous Age. The plants and animals of the Cretaceous Age could not be found in later ages, such as the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Mesozoic and Caenozoic Ages, because their existence, their births and deaths also depend on ecological balance. And as a result of the change in position of the poles, some people say that in the eastern hemisphere, the north pole is moving from north to south and in the western hemisphere, the south pole moves from south to north, and it cannot be assured that their relative distance will remain unchanged. So we should be prepared for the future; we should be prepared for the resultant of these changes in polar positions, in environmental order and also in ecological structure.

As a result of this change the magnetic structure of this Earth will change, as a result of which other planets and satellites of the solar system will also undergo certain remarkable metamorphosis. And if the magnetic order is disrupted, then certain remarkable changes, certain remarkable metamorphoses in the electromagnetic vibrations of this Earth and also of the entire solar system, will occur. As a result of this type of change in the electromagnetic vibrations, human thought waves will certainly be affected.

Our progress in the arena of science depends much on the progress of our knowledge in electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic emanations. So our progress in the fields of both humanities and science will suffer much, will be much assailed as the result of this change. We should be prepared for such change, and that change may take place in the very near future.

You know, human existence is not only an existence of physicality, an existence in physical structure, it is a [mesh] of vibrations of so many wavelengths. So if the physical waves change, if the climatic conditions undergo a certain gigantic metamorphosis, certainly the emanations and perceptions of nerve cells and nerve fibres will be changed, and disrupted. It may be for the good, it may be for the bad, but change is a must. In the case of such a change in the physical order and also in the physico-psychic order, the change is sure to take place in the realm of spirituality. We hope that the movement – that is, the movement of humanity, and of each and every living being – is from matter to consciousness, from extroversion to introversion. So the thought waves of human beings will be more of a spiritual nature than they are at present. That is, humanity in that developed condition will be more spiritual-minded than it is at present.

The Cosmic Entity, the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, never stops His emanations in the physical, metaphysical, supraphysical and spiritual strata. In the case of microcosm, if the change is neurological as a result of physical change, then certainly the cells and then nerve fibres will function some other way than at present. Then the thought waves of the Great, the thought waves of the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, are sure to undergo some transmutation when they pass through unit human structures. And it is expected that under such circumstances the progress of human beings in the realm of introversion will be more accelerated than it is at present. If the poles in a particular small planet, like the Earth, shift their respective positions, it may be beneficial to human beings or it may not be beneficial to human beings, but it is certain that the thought waves of the Supreme will do their own duty under the changed circumstances. Humanity will be more meditative and will accept Parama Puruśa, the Cosmic Cognitive Faculty, as its object of ideation in a better and more scientific way. One must not think that anything is fixed or stationary in this universe. Everybody moves – certainly the poles move – and they have already started their function of shifting their respective positions. And you see as a result of such a change, especially if the change takes place very fast, then another ice-age may occur here on this Earth. Between the pre-condition and post-condition of the ice-age there may be a long gap – that is, the pre-age and the post-age will have a long gap between them. But we have much expectation and hope from human intellect; and we hope, if a catastrophe comes, the human intellect will be able to overcome such a catastrophe and arrange for shifting the population to some other planet having suitable environmental conditions and a better ecological order. Let humanity rise, and let this development of humanity be more and more spiritually-oriented!

Chapter 11	A Few Problems Solved Part 7

A developed economy should consist of four parts – people’s economy, psycho-economy, commercial economy and general economy. This quadri-dimension of the economy is a vast expansion on the contemporary and co-contemporary conceptions of economic activity.

Most economists today understand only a little of the principles of general economy and something of commercial economy, but both of these parts are still in an undeveloped stage. People’s economy and psycho-economy are totally overlooked by modern economists, and as such could find no place in the present mode of economic thinking.

People’s Economy

People’s economy deals with the essential needs of the people in general – the production, distribution, marketing, shipping, storage, pricing, sales, freight charges, pro forma costing, and all related activities of such essential needs. Most importantly, it is directly concerned with the guaranteed provision of minimum requirements such as food, clothing, housing, medical treatment, education, transportation, energy and irrigation water. Continuous improvement in and ready availability of these requirements is the key factor in people’s economy.

The minimum requirements can be assured through guaranteed purchasing capacity which should be enshrined in the constitution as a fundamental or cardinal human right. This will give the citizens of the country legal power if their minimum requirements are not met, hence the necessity of purchasing capacity will be reinforced by constitutional law. As people’s economy will deal with minimum requirements and people’s subsistence problems, it must take precedence over other parts of the economy.

People’s economy should also be concerned with the development of both private and cooperative industries. Private industries would be limited in size and scope to prevent monopoly production and exploitation, and would be required to function as cooperatives once they grow too large. Cooperative industries are the best means of independently organizing people so that they take collective responsibility for their livelihood.

People’s economy also includes employment for all; the eradication of mass poverty; the development of rural economy; the phase-wise socialization of land into the hands of those who work physically or intellectually for proper production; practical training programmes to impart skills which enable people to find employment in their immediate urban or rural locality; work placement; and the transportation, trans-shipment, loading and unloading of any materials, even if they are not economically viable in the short-term. It is also concerned with the generation of cheap power and the supply of water, which are essential if people are to control their local economies. Finally, it includes economic decentralization, cooperative dynamo and block-level planning.

Take the example of Bengal. The following programme based on the provision of the minimum requirements may be adopted to improve the economic standard of Bengal.

Food: Although Bengal is fertile it is divided into two parts – areas short of rainfall, and areas with no shortages of rainfall but which experience water shortages in winter. In both parts water conservation is required. The irrigation problem can be solved by any of several methods, including shift irrigation, lift irrigation, tank irrigation and small-scale river projects. The quality of water varies among different rivers. Some water is sweet, and discriminating use of this water can improve agricultural production. Different crops, fruits and vegetables can be grown all over Bengal, which is capable of feeding its entire population of around seventy million people through its own resources if they are properly managed.

Clothing: The type of clothing that people wear depends primarily on climatic conditions and the availability of raw materials. In Bengal, four major raw materials are available for clothing – cotton, mulberry silk, non-mulberry silk, and synthetic silk and other materials. Bengal can become self-sufficient in cotton, silk and synthetic materials, and can even produce a surplus for export to other regions. Mulberry silk is ideally suited to Bengal because it requires a slightly dry climate which is found in eastern Bengal. Non-mulberry silk can also be grown throughout Bengal. Fibres can be produced from copra, rice husks, bamboo, coconut shells, banana leaves and pineapple leaves, which are all widely available. Bengal can also grow wool, and even jute can be used for clothing.

Housing: Construction materials are abundantly available throughout Bengal. Three essential requirements are sand, lime and cement. The clay soil of Bengal is suitable for manufacturing bricks, fire-bricks and tiles, while enormous limestone deposits have been discovered. Bengal can be self-sufficient in the production of building materials, and can also export to other regions. Industries which manufacture construction materials can be quite profitable.

Medicine: Bengal is richly endowed with both herbal and mineral medicines. The major ailments of Bengal are fever and stomach diseases. It is the practice of nature to abundantly produce those herbs which cure the common diseases of the people in that locality. Some districts in Bengal are suitable for herb cultivation, while other districts are rich in mineral medicines.

Education: One’s mother tongue is the natural medium of expression, hence Bengali should be the medium of instruction in Bengali schools. English, which is presently the global language, should be the second language, so higher education should be imparted in English. Sanskrit should also be taught to enrich the cultural heritage of Bengal.

Education materials such as paper and ink are also available in Bengal. Paper can be manufactured from different grasses and plants which can be readily grown in several districts. Ink can be manufactured from synthetic processes or from indigo.

Energy and transportation: Until solar energy can be manufactured cheaply, other energy sources such as hydroelectricity, thermal power, tidal power and wind power can be utilized. All the raw materials necessary for transportation are also available, including rubber, steel, mica, mercury, silver, copper, quartz and manganese. Hence, Bengal can develop all kinds of transportation.

Psycho-Economy

While people’s economy is concerned primarily with the provision of the minimum requirements of life, psycho-economy is concerned with increasing the psychic pabula of the individual and collective mind through appropriate economic activity. People’s economy will be the main concern of undeveloped and developing countries, but psycho-economy will gain increasing importance in the future once the problems of subsistence are gradually solved. Psycho-economy will be of major importance in a highly developed and mechanized economy where people may only work a few hours a week and have much spare time.

Psycho-economy has two branches. The first branch endeavours to eradicate exploitative and unjust economic practices, behaviours and structures. It will counter all economic and psycho-economic exploitation and make people aware of how capitalists, in their singular or collective roles, exploit society and create unhealthy, artificial demands which not only poison the mind but encourage dangerous habits detrimental to psychic sanctity and expansion. The first and foremost duty of psycho-economics is to wage a tireless fight against all degenerating and dehumanizing economic trends in society.

The second branch of psycho-economy develops and enhances the psychic pabula of the individual and collective minds. This branch is virtually unknown today, but it will become an extremely important branch of economics in the future. It will ensure equilibrium and equipoise in all levels of the economy. It will find new and creative solutions to economic problems to nurture the maximum utilization of psychic and spiritual potentialities. Psycho-economics will add to the glaring glamour of economics.

Commercial Economy

This part of the economy is concerned with the development of scientific, efficient methods of production and distribution which will not incur loss and where output will exceed input. The aim of commercial economy is to ensure the maximum utilization and rational distribution of resources for the benefit of all.

General Economy

Although some development has occurred in both commercial and general economy, there is scope for much greater development.

PROUT advocates a three-tiered industrial structure which includes key industries managed by the immediate government, cooperatives, and privately owned enterprises. Key industries will function on a “no profit, no loss” principle. General economy includes the organization of the industrial structure and the coordination of economic planning at all levels to ensure collective welfare.

These four parts of the economy should be integrated and adjusted according to Neo-Humanistic principles to ensure the maximum utilization and rational distribution of all resources, and to harmonize human progress with all creation.