Chapter 1	Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]

What we belittle as matter is nothing but a varying form of energy. To maintain the inertness of matter the existence of energy as well as its application is undeniable. And this concentration of energy, being crude, expresses crude waves which are black. So the energy which causes inertness in objects is an expression of the static force of Prakrti on Puruśa.

The influence of the sentient principle is the exact opposite, for it is effulgent and expressive. It is characterized by its excellence of expansion and subtlety. The characteristic of the static principle is to bind whatever is subtle within the limitations of forms and lines, thus bringing it within the periphery of sense perception, and within the scope of human conception. Thus, due to the static influence of Prakrti, the abstract is brought into the initial stage of matter (ether). Its nature is to give a concrete form to the absolute idea. When there is the unfoldment of the mutative and sentient principles they cannot give any expression to their limited ideas in the absence of a proper object, though they have the potentiality of expressing themselves. As they do not have any finite medium their expression cannot be manifested.

Due to the bondage of the static principle, the expansiveness of the sentient and mutative principles, bound by the limitations of forms, appears as a material object. But since the characteristics of the sentient and mutative principles are unlimited, the static principle actually creates not a limited number of finite entities but an unlimited number of infinite entities. The characteristic of the static principle to bring the subtle within the periphery of finitude is the actual cause behind the manifestations of both actions and objects. These finite expressions of the practical world are the limiting actional expression of the static principle. Names, forms and other symbolisations have been ascribed to them by the doer-I.

The difference between objects is caused by varying degrees of bondage of the static principle. The indriyas (human sense organs) and their controller, the mind, accept the collectivity of these objects, bound by the limitations of forms, as the expressed universe. Where there is no staticity there is no awareness of creation. Because there are no limiting bondages, the very expression of the creation remains indistinct. That is, in the absence of the static inertness, nothing can be brought within the field of perception.

Take the case of the precious metal gold. Whenever you say “gold” you refer to gold in general, the gold of the universe. To be of some practical use, the gold will have to be brought within the limitation of a certain form, such as a gold necklace, a gold bangle, or gold tiara. Women may get a certain pleasure by wearing these gold ornaments, but for the goldsmith has no practical use for them as ornaments. He is only concerned about one thing – gold. Likewise, due to the influence of the static principle, an infinite number of names and forms have emerged out of Parama Puruśa, the Singular Entity. Most people enjoy using these finite names and forms, but to practical spiritual aspirants they have no special importance. Sádhakas are only interested in the original substance and not its finite forms. Thus, their only object of ideation is Parama Puruśa. They only accept Parama Puruśa, the Singular Entity, as the goal of their lives, just as the goldsmith is only interested in the gold and not its different forms.

How can one shake off the influence of static inertness? How can one get freedom from the bondages of names and forms? Just as the goldsmith uses a hammer and process of melting (in fire) to extract the real gold from the various ornaments, similarly a practical spiritual aspirant will have to break the bondages of names and forms in this expressed world through the cultivation of knowledge (which is mutative), devotion (which is sentient). By virtue of the heat of the fire of sádhaná and the strength derived from sustained intuitional practice, a sádhaka can overcome the static inertness, the apparent cause behind the quinquelemental universe. Life and the world will become effulgent with the resultant unfoldment of latent consciousness.

Yadátamastanna divá naratrirna sanna cá saincchiva eva kevalah
Tadakśaraḿ tat saviturvareńyaḿ prajiṋáca tasmát prasrtá puráńii.

As soon as mental darkness is dispelled, one will see everything as effulgent in the light of knowledge. The entire universe will appear as an unbroken, infinite, radiant entity. There will be no difference between night and day, between real and unreal. Diversity will merge into singularity. All finite expressions will merge in the integral Macrocosmic Entity.

This Supreme Conscious Entity beyond the veil of cimmerian darkness is called Akśara Puruśa (the immutable Entity). He is the One to be adored by all. He is the Universal Father. Out of His Infinite Cognition emerges everything.

To realize the all-pervasive Supreme Entity the static darkness has got to be dispelled from one’s mind – there is no other way. Those who grope in the darkness of staticity are bound to differentiate between various objects, and will certainly be goaded to worship various finite objects. When one develops real love for the Supreme through unflinching sincerity and intense spiritual practice, the bondages of inertness gradually loosen and finally snap open. Those who take the finite to be the infinite, and ascribe Brahmahood to finite objects, ultimately degenerate into inert matter. They are psychologically unable to transcend the bondages of lineage, caste, community and state. They may deliver noble-sounding speeches, but in reality they look upon this world through the spectacles of meanness. To fulfil their selfish group interests they utilize their intellectual power and physical energy for internecine feuds and battles, mutual slandering and jealousy, and thereby vitiate the atmosphere of the entire universe.

Some intellectuals are in favour of respecting all religions. I say that such people cannot do anything to promote the solidarity of the human race, for most religions demand blind faith rather than rationality from their followers. “Don’t argue,” they proclaim. “Accept the teachings of the scriptures for they are the direct word of God.” The cunning intellectuals of the past imposed the importance of blind faith on the minds of their gullible followers. They told them to obey the teachings, rational or irrational, otherwise there would be no respite from the endless suffering of human life, no other path to take them to the eternal bliss of heaven.

In most cases religions took advantage of human weaknesses, crippled the people’s rationality, and sapped their strength, thus facilitating their exploitation by the religious traders. When the vitality and strength of the masses remains unexpressed, the exploiters will be able to exploit them in the economic and other spheres of life for a long time with relative ease. In the annals of human history it can be seen in all ages that the various exploiters were the patrons and the preachers of religion.

Dharma is altogether different from religion for it teaches human beings to advance while mercilessly smashing all obstacles that thwart human progress. Its inherent qualities are subtle analysis, ideological strength and the brilliance of valour. That’s why the vested interests cannot tolerate it and use all their strength and machinery to oppose it. They claim they are protecting religion. The greater the conflict between person and person, between community and community, between state and state, the greater is their advantage. But when many people form a collective mind through sincere sacrifice and ardent practice while advancing towards the realization of oneness with the Supreme, it will be difficult to continue exploiting people on any pretext.

In fact the ignorance of Brahmaváda (intuitional science) and dharma has done enormous harm to the human race. In the modern civilized society the same thing should not be allowed to be repeated. By accepting the all pervasive and all-permeating Brahma as the primordial factor for the crude, subtle and causal worlds; by realizing Brahma as the nucleus of the enjoyer, the enjoyed and the enjoyment; and by keeping the Supreme Cognition fixed before the mind, human life should be rebuilt on a strong foundation. All spheres of life should be completely restructured. All feelings of differentiation – his god, her god, the Hindu’s Hari and the Moslem’s Álláh – should be abandoned and that Supreme Entity accepted from the core of one’s heart. That Supreme Imperishable Entity is the final desideratum, the culminating point of all entities. We should not bother the least who addresses Him as Hari or who addresses Him as Álláh.

Those whose existence is filled with cosmic ideation do not and cannot support any discrimination regarding Parama Puruśa and His creation. But those who have not properly understood the concept of the Absolute Entity confine Him within the bonds of limitation by petty squabbling (over such insignificant arguments as to whether Hari is greater than Álláh, or Álláh greater than Hari), or claiming that He resides in certain holy places of pilgrimage. Some of them raise their hands and proclaim, “God is listening to everything from above.” Others believe that the Supreme Entity remains within the confines of temples, mosques and churches and hands out His favours to all. Now can you ever keep that Infinite Entity confined to a limited place or idea? Leave aside the temples, mosques and churches; even a continent, a solar system or the entire universe cannot confine Him. Dull-witted people, due to the influence of the static principle, wrongly ascribe Brahmahood to finite objects, and worship them. They present logical arguments to attempt and justify their support of superstition due to their samskaras accumulated over many lives.

Naenamúrdhvaḿ na tiryaiṋca na madhye parijagrabhat
Na tasya pratimá asti yasya náma mahadyashah.

Those who say that the all-pervasive Brahma resides above are wrong. No doubt He remains above, but His remaining in that state is a partial and spatial expression, and not His full manifestation. Had He any replica (pratimá), He would have been confined to a particular space, but He has none. The derivative meaning of pratima is “ a thing in its miniature form”. If an object, however big it might be, is circumscribed by demarcating lines, one can easily create a miniature form to make it easier for the common masses to understand. The earth, the Pacific Ocean, and the solar system are big, but they are not infinite, and thus can be displayed on a map or a chart.

The simplistic statement “I am trying to discover consciousness in a clay image” may sound pleasing to the ear but logically is totally unacceptable for it is merely an expression of sentiment. The Supreme Consciousness exists in all countries and in all ages equally. There is no question of confining Him within something limited. All talk of His invocation, installation or immersion in the form of a deity is meaningless. Also the question of whether a particular day is auspicious or inauspicious for the worship of the Supreme Entity is of no significance whatsoever.

The only way to become ensconced in His all-pervasive Macrocosmic stance is to practice Brahma sádhaná. To merely cherish an ardent desire that the Supreme Entity will appear before one in the form of a human being to fulfil one’s every wish, will not help one to attain the Supreme goal. Those who claim that their god appeared before them and granted them boons, or prescribed medicine for their ailments after they performed a long dhara (sitting in front of a deity for a long long time, in the expectation of receiving a divine message) mislead themselves. Their visions of gods and goddesses are created out of their own mind stuff due to their mental concentration, and the so-called divine messages come from the vast fold of cognition of their own causal mind. It is the latent omniscience of their own causal mind which confirms the information already received by the manomáya kośa (knowledge from the unconscious mind seeps into the conscious).

If you want to compare one object with another you will have to select an object which has similar qualities. For example, you can give someone an idea about the whiteness of lime by them showing curd because both of them are white. Similarly, you can give someone an idea about the taste of sugar-cane molasses by giving them date molasses to eat, because both are sweet. But you cannot give anyone an idea about the nature of water by showing them a piece of iron because they are different categories of objects.

Likewise, if you want to convey the concept of Brahma you will have to take the help of another entity like Brahma, but there is no second entity like Him. He is beyond comparison. He is the Infinite Entity, the embodiment of Supreme Bliss, existence and knowledge personified. So to make a comparison you require a finite object which is infinite, and supremely blissful. But how can the finite become infinite? Hence, no finite object can be His replica. The rśi says, “The Supreme Entity who has no periphery, whose glory and excellence have no end, can never have any replica of His own.”

Na saḿdrshe tist́hati rupamasya na cakśuśá pashyati kashcanaenam
Hrdáhrdisthaḿ manasá ya enamevaḿ viduramrtáste bhavanti.

Nowhere in the universe can you see His full form because your limited optical nerves are unable to perceive Him in His entirety. If you say that Parama Puruśa exists in a certain place of pilgrimage, it is as good as saying that He does not exist in any other part of the universe. He has no spatial form, nor does He occupy any special place. Your crude eyes can only perceive the spatial factor, and nothing beyond. As his expression is not limited to any particular space He does not come within the scope of sense perception.

In such circumstances How can one attain Him? One has to make the mirror of one’s existential-I (buddhitattva, which contains the urges for action) absolutely spotless. As long as the existential-I is covered with layers of darkness, it cannot reflect Cosmic Consciousness. It will not be visible on that defective mental plate. To realize His manifestation in the vast sky of your inner mind you will have to make your mental plate absolutely clean and spotless through the process of sádhaná. In this process of mental purification you will experience that the Supreme Entity has come within your inner mind (buddhitattva) and has established it’s contact with the inner core of your heart. Remember that He is only attainable through ideation. You will never find Him in the temples and mosques, the churches and the synagogues. He is not to be found anywhere externally, for He has already taken shelter in the sanctuary of your inner mind.

Sádhaná is the endeavour for self purification (átma suddhi), and mental purification (citta suddhi). Those who take a holy dip in the river Ganges at sundown after spending the day robbing people and accepting bribes are not the followers of dharma; nor are those who build churches, mosques, temples and pilgrims’ rest houses with part of their huge fortune amassed through black marketing and adulteration. They cannot escape the results of their sins in this way. Those who commit sinful deeds accumulate a crude bundle of saḿskáras; a heavy load which no one else can carry. But if you make your mental mirror absolutely spotless, Parama Puruśa will appear in your mind with all His effulgence and fill your entire being with immeasurable bliss.

It is true that the emancipation of one entity doers not lead to the emancipation of other entities. Suppose a lotus has been placed in the middle of a circle of ten mirrors. Its reflection will be most distinct on the cleanest mirror. And only by observing that reflection can one acquire proper knowledge about that particular lotus. If you look at the other mirrors you won’t get anything like a clear image of the lotus. Is the lotus to be blamed for the imperfect images? No, the defect lies with the mirrors.

Intuition can be likened to the microcosmic mirror. That mirror which attains the Cosmic One due to it’s spotlessness is liberated, the rest are not. The Macrocosmic Entity is not to blamed for that; the fault lies with the microcosm, for it does not try to remove the layers of darkness from its mind. Intuition is the reflection of incoming perception, the reflection of psychic assimilation. But where intuition has not been awakened, no incoming perception is reflected on it and that is why an object is called matter. This matter has no capacity of internal assimilation and as such is completely guided by the Cosmic Will.

The reflecting mind often thinks that it’s secret activities or its hidden thoughts are unseen and unknown by anyone else. However, as soon as an image is formed in the unit mind it is immediately reflected on the Cosmic Mind. That’s why one cannot do anything unknown to Him. When a man steals something, the Supreme Entity will immediately come to know of the theft. When the police arrest him and he denies his crime, he knows that he is telling a lie and so the Supreme Entity also knows he is telling a lie. If the dishonest policeman accepts a bribe and lets him go, the man knows that the policeman has accepted a bribe, so Parama Puruśa also knows. Later, when that policeman suffers a major tragedy, such as the death of his son, his eyes fill with tears of bitterness, and he complains, “Why has such a terrible misfortune struck me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” This complaint will immediately be heard by the Supreme Entity, who will ask the policeman in the core of his heart, “Did I take the bribe?” That Supreme Entity knows everything. To know that Supreme Entity, the Benevolent One, one will have to keep one’s mental plate perfectly clean by practising intense intuitional sádhaná.

The first stage of sádhaná is yama and niyama (strict moral observances), the foundation of spiritual life, the light which dispels the darkness of static ignorance. By perfecting the ten principles of yama and niyama, spiritual aspirants gain the spiritual vigour required to wage the constant war against the dullness of staticity. Theirs is a valiant and relentless fight against the obstacles created by avidyámáyá which try to detract them from the path of the attainment of Brahma, their supreme goal, their final desideratum, their polestar, the only ideal of their lives. In the social sphere they struggle not to reform society for the sake of reformation, but to combat the defects and inconsistencies in all walks of life which are detrimental to spiritual life and a stumbling block on the path of attaining the Supreme goal. In short, they seek to build a balanced, harmonious spiritual society. Their endeavour to remove the thorns scattered along the path of progress is ceaseless.

Usually those people whose sole aim is to bring about social, intellectual and economic reforms collapse in exhaustion after achieving a certain amount of success and either give up or get confused. But this does not happen to sádhakas because their main focus is not the struggle, but how to reach the goal. Thus they wage a ceaseless struggle against all kinds of defects and distortions with their two most important weapons: yama and niyama. All sádhakas are soldiers whose rations are knowledge, whose drink is action and whose salt is devotion.

Just as food without salt becomes bland, similarly, knowledge and action without devotion become meaningless. You should bear in mind that if there is devotion there is everything, and if there is no devotion, there is nothing. It is true that without knowledge one may be misguided, and without action one may become inert, but it is only through devotion that one can attain the Supreme Stance. Knowledge and action alone cannot lead one to the attainment of the Supreme Entity in practice (although in theory it may be possible). Their importance lies in the way they complement devotion.

Suppose you know a man called Ramesh lives in a certain far off place. This is the extent of your knowledge about him. To meet him you undertake a long and arduous train journey. This is your action. On arriving at his house you knock at his door and call him so that he comes to greet you and invite you inside. This is your devotion. If a person lacks knowledge and action and calls Him on the strength of devotion it is not altogether impossible to attain Him, but that path is somewhat inconvenient. That’s why I say that even though one’s mission may be fulfilled through the devotion alone, it is better to complement devotion with knowledge and action.

Dry knowledge, whatever its quality, cannot help a person to attain the supreme goal of life because it lacks sweetness. A life devoid of sweetness ultimately becomes useless, like the hollow shell of a tree struck by lightning. Neither can action alone bring the highest fulfilment to human life, because people tend to become so wrapped up in it that it becomes their obsession. Their fundamental goal gets obscured before their eyes. Those sádhakas who advance maintaining a balanced adjustment amongst the three will ultimately realize the Supreme Entity. Even those who want to remove the feeling of differentiation from the relative world and look upon the Supreme Entity with an integral outlook, need to develop their knowledge, action and devotion, yet in this case, too, devotion is more important than knowledge and action. Those sádhakas whose hearts overflow with sweet devotional sentiment can break the shackles of superstition far easier than those following the cults of knowledge and action.

It is often seen that those who deliver bombastic speeches on the merits of knowledge or those who have some reputation as social activists unhesitatingly support narrow sentiments such as casteism, provincialism, nationalism, etc. It is often the so-called pandits who fall prey to social vices such as acceptance of bribes, falsehood, promiscuity, or alcoholism. Many of those who have encouraged discrimination between human beings and caused the pages of the history books to be stained with blood are the same people whom society respects as pandits and activists. But such feelings of pettiness are absent in devotees for they love humanity out of deep devotional sentiment. Would you ever ask a drowning person, “Are you a Hindu, a Moslem, a brahmin or an untouchable?” Of course not. The inspiration not to do that lies hidden in your underlying devotional sentiment.

Bhaktirbhagavato sevá bhaktih premasvarupińii;
Bhaktiránandarúpá ca bhaktih bhaktasya jiivanam.

[Devotion is the spirit of service to the Supreme Entity. It is an embodiment of selfless love, an embodiment of bliss, the very life of a devotee.]

Dve akśare Brahmapare tvanante vidyávidye nihite yatra gúd́he;
Kśaraḿ tvavidyá hyamrtaḿ tu vidyá vidyávidye iishate yastu so’nyah.

The Supreme Entity who is the culminating point of the path of devotion is infinite. From whatever viewpoint you analyse Him He is unending. Vidyá and Avidyá, the [[two]] aspects of Prakrti, are sheltered in Him; they remain dormant in Him. Due to the dominance of the static principle on the Macrocosmic Entity, [[Avidyá]] becomes manifest. By virtue of Her ávaranii shakti and vikśepii shakti She engages Herself in the creation of the universe. Hence, Avidyá is kśara shakti (perishable), for She causes mutation or movement towards degeneration. Likewise due to the dominant influence of the sentient principle on the Macrocosmic Body the force of Vidyá becomes manifest. By virtue of samvit shakti (the force which arouses consciousness) Vidyá helps the individual microcosm to attain immortality. Hence Vidyá shakti is an elevating force.

The Supreme Controller of Vidyá and Avidyá shakti is Puruśottama. He is the Supreme Cognition, above Vidyá and Avidyá; above Para (controlling the Supramundane world) and Apara (controlling the mundane world). To become established in the stance of Puruśottama (or Saguńa Brahma), a spiritual aspirant will have to initially seek the help of Vidyá Shakti. Even to attain the non-attributional stance (Nirguńa), the assistance of Vidyá Shakti is indispensable. After attaining the attributional stance both Vidyá and Avidyá have a certain controlling authority to some extent, but after attaining the nonattributional stance they cease to exist.

Namaste paramaḿ brahma namaste Paramátmane
Nirguńáya namastubhyaḿ sadrúpáya namo namah.

[Salutations to the Supreme Entity, I salute the Supreme Cognitive Faculty. I salute the Non-attributional Entity. Salutations to the Supreme Being.]

The microcosms reap the consequences of their original activities. Is this ordained by the Supreme Entity? Yes, it is, although He does not inflict punishment on anyone directly. He has only ordained that every action will contain the seed of reaction. He has given the freedom to developed microcosms to decide whether to act or remain inert or whether to perform virtuous deeds or sinful ones.

The more microcosms advance along the path of Pratisaiṋcara, the more developed they become, and the more freedom they are granted to act independently. Of course they can only enjoy as much freedom as the Supreme Authority chooses to give them. The amount of suffering caused by reactive momenta depends upon how microcosms use or misuse this freedom. It serves no purpose whatsoever to blame the Supreme Entity for this suffering. After all, you have been given the freedom, the full liberty, to perform the original deeds as you think fit. Since every action contains a seed of reaction you will have to undergo the reactions of your actions. These seeds or reactive momenta are expressed through your non-original deeds (saḿskára múlaka) over which you have no control.

A person is reborn in a physical structure and physical environment which are congenial for the expression of the unrequited saḿskáras. The Cosmic Mind directs the disembodied soul to that particular environment where it will get the maximum opportunity for the expression of it’s latent saḿskáras. That’s why some people live miserable lives in squalid conditions and suffer from poor health while others lead joyful, healthy, and worry-free lives in a comfortable environment. Yet no matter what circumstances one finds oneself in, one must realize and accept that no situation is without hope. For one’s psychic expansion, one will have to keep one’s mind fixed on the Supreme Entity, one will have to advance towards that Absolute Entity while removing all obstacles from the path.

One should not entertain any thought or illusion about the past. If one clings to worn out objects and allows pitiful tears to flood one’s life, one loses the rhythm of movement and gradually gets converted into inert matter. One should never allow the darkness of cowardice to engulf one’s entitative existence.

The microcosmic movement towards the Supreme Goal of life through endless fight against all sorts of formidable obstacles is true dharma. Human beings need cosmic inspiration to motivate them to move forwards. Their psychic development is not possible through intimidation or by creating circumstantial pressure.

Those who are motivated to undertake missionary work only due to financial backing or royal patronage, or who are guided by scriptural sanction rather than logic or rationality, are not at all capable of leading the human race along the path of genuine progress.

Is it possible to truly convert thousands of poor people into a certain religion by applying physical force or by spending large sums of money? Such so-called new converts no doubt give up their own religion, but they cannot imbibe the best aspects of the new religion because they have not accepted it through religious inspiration or spiritual inquisitiveness. In fact, such new religious converts often prove to be a liability to the religious society which converted them.

The only way to bring about the real well-being of human beings is to arouse spiritual inspiration. One will have to create a thirst for spirituality and a fervent interest in sádhaná. People must realize that dharma is the essence of life, the breath of life.

In the practice of spiritual cult there is no distinction nor can there ever be – between men and women. As jiivátmá (the soul) is not composed of the five fundamental factors there cannot be any sex distinction in it.

Naeva strii na pamáneśa na caeváyaḿ napuḿsakh
Yadyacchariiramádatte tena tena sa rakśate

“Jiivátmá is neither a male nor a female, nor a hermaphrodite”.

For the proper expression of one’s latent saḿskáras one gets reborn into the body of a woman or a man or sometimes a hermaphrodite. There is no question of high or low, superior or inferior, noble or ignoble because whatever might be the sex of the body, the jiivátmá is just the witness of the mind it is attached to. It is unassailed by the sexual differences of the quinquelemental bodies. The unexpressed psychic reactions (saḿskáras) of the disembodied soul are guided by the Cosmic Mind and adjusted with a proper structure, at a proper time and a proper place, providing a congenial environment for the expression of the unrequited saḿskáras.

Depending upon the nature of the saḿskáras there is either the predominance of the tendency to attract (saḿyojanii shakti) or the predominance of the tendency to be attracted (vibhájanii shakti) The nature of the force of attraction is to draw the object of enjoyment towards itself, and the nature of the force which is attracted is to move towards the object of enjoyment. When there is dominance of saḿyojanii shakti in one’s latent saḿskáras, the disembodied soul attains a female body for its outward expression, and conversely where there is a dominance of vibhájanii shakti, it attains a male body. Where there is an approximate balance between the two the disembodied soul attains the body of a hermaphrodite. Of course, even in the hermaphrodite the balance between saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shaktis is not perfect; there is a slight tilt in favour of one or the other. That’s why some hermaphrodites are more inclined towards masculinity, and some are more inclined towards femininity.

In undeveloped creatures, there is a balance between the saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shaktis and thus they are asexual. Being subjected to less internal struggle and more external struggle these undeveloped creatures can divide their bodies into a number of parts. But developed creatures do not have this possibility. In order to increase their numbers they are compelled to take the help of one another with the saḿyojanii and vibhájanii forces. Hence there are sexual differences among all developed creatures, without which the preservation of their different species could never be maintained. Thus, sexual differences exist to permit the proper expression of saḿskáras. However, these sexual difference have no absolute value whatsoever.

So the characteristic of the human mind to attract or to be attracted depends on mental tendency. If there is a glandular change in the physical structure there will be a corresponding change in the saḿyojanii or vibhájanii forces of the mind. Even if the mind thinks deeply about a person of the opposite sex, its own inherent saḿyojanii or vibhájanii shakti gets changed to some extent. If there is a major change in either of the forces there will be a corresponding change in the physical body. As a result, males can be converted into females and females into males.

You may have noticed in the practical world how men and women treat physical objects in different ways. This is due to the difference in the degree of expansion of saḿyojanii and vibhájanii shakti.

Thus the characteristics that determine sex, whether male, female, or hermaphroditic, are not fixed or final. On the basis of this concept there should not be any discrimination between people – there is no sex difference in the jiivátman. In spiritual practice, too, no artificial distinction between men and women should be encouraged. Only in those aspects of spiritual practice which depend upon the harmonious functioning of the body and mind (such as asanas and mudras), should glandular and psychological differences be taken into consideration.

Saḿkalpanasparshanadrśtimohaergrásámbuvrśt́á cátmavivrddijama
Karmánugányanukrameńa dehiis tháneśu rúpáńyabhisamprapadyate.

The initial force that causes sex differentiation and the assumption of various forms is called saḿkalpátmaka. The resolve to be manifested in the created universe is the noumenal cause of birth. When one ideates on the pleasures of the world and clings to objects of enjoyment, one is bound to assume a physical body in the next life. The saḿskáras born out of the determination to be reborn are termed bhava in scripture.

Immediately after saḿkalpa, indriya vrtti occurs (the externalization of the resolve through the sense organs). The mind constantly runs towards the physical objects for enjoyment with the help of the indriyas in its endless attempt to get them within its reach. Human beings want to acquire all the name and fame the world has to offer to become the most distinguished individuals; they want all the world’s money to be deposited in their coffers. When they acquire certain objects they strive to keep them well within their vision. Finally, due to the extreme influence of Avidyámáyá, they become so blindly attracted to those pleasurable objects that they cannot bear to be physically separated from them, even for a second.

One’s bhava [bundle of saḿskáras] gets strengthened due to development of one’s resolve and the increased desire to touch, see and cling to one’s objects of desire. This process has been going on for millions of lives. The Cosmic Mind provides a base for the microcosm in a particular form and place in the subsequent life which gives the maximum scope for the expression of its own inherent saḿskáras. Thus a microcosm can be born on any planet throughout the universe.

It is said in the scriptures that the disembodied soul first accepts the [[sperm]] with the help of the Cosmic Mind and then, getting united with the [[ovum]], produces an embryo for the proper expression of its latent saḿskáras. On the one hand the embryo acquires psychic nourishment, on the other hand its saḿskáras are expressed internally. Until the mind acquires sufficient power to act according to its developed existential Ifeeling, it will have to undergo the torments of afflictions (bhava jantrańá) internally as the doer of non-original actions. At that time it is not the doer. But as soon as the nerve cells acquire the capacity to work according to the developed I-feeling, it starts to perform original actions (pratyaya mulaka karma).

Wise people say that the living being gets nourishment first in the father’s body, then in the mother’s womb, and finally on the earth after being born. Usually after the age of thirty-nine (of course, the period may vary slightly according to changes in time, space and person) its body begins to deteriorate.

Sthuláni sukśmáni bahúni caeva rúpańi dehii svaguńaervrńoti
Kriyáguńaerátmaguńaeshcáteśáḿ saḿyogaheturaparo’pi drśt́ah.

One acquires a physical body according to the nature of one’s samskaras. A human being who behaves like a goat or a dog may be born as a goat or a dog in the next life, because such an animal body is the proper base for the congenial expression of the latent saḿskáras. Hence it is not at all impossible for a human being to be reborn as a hog, a worm, a tree, or even a piece of stone. One’s destiny will be decided according to the nature of one’s karma – this is an infallible law. In this regard, neither Paramátmá nor Prakrti can do anything to help. But Parama Brahma out of His Infinite grace, will reconvert these ahalyás (those converted into stone as a result of crude actions) into glorious human beings in the process of Pratisaiṋcara, and provide opportunities for their movement towards the most exalted life.

To be more precise it is the saḿskáras (reactive momenta) which are reborn. Philosophically speaking it is not correct to say that the átman (unit consciousness) is reborn, because Átman is neither body, intellect, nor mind; it is just the witnessing entity, the subject witnessing the metamorphoses of its object, sometimes into another finite form and sometimes into an infinite form.

Átman is not subject to either pain or pleasure because they are the psychic propensities of the mind. Of course, the desires and longings of the unit mind do affect the Átman to some extent. And it apparently seems as if the Átman is also involved in the vicious cycle of actions and reactions.

When, due to the grace of Parama Brahma, techniques of intuitional practice (sádhaná) are imparted to the unit mind through the medium of a Guru, the way to emancipation from bondages is opened, and the unit mind begins to transcend all sorrows and miseries. By virtue of this sádhaná one can also free oneself from the vicious cycle of karma, resulting in the Átman getting immediate liberation from all mental bondages. Having relinquished the desire for finite objects in different places, in different forms, and in different ways, and having embraced the Supreme Original Entity, one attains the highest fulfilment. This attainment is achieved with the grace of Parama Puruśa in the form of a Guru. Hence there is only one Guru: the Supreme Entity alone is the Universal Guru.

Nityaḿ shuddhaḿ nirábhásaḿ nirakáraḿ niraiṋjanam;
Nityabodhaḿ cidánandaḿ Gurubrahma namámyaham.

[I offer my salutation to Brahma in the form of the Guru, who is eternal, ever-pure, without replica, formless, absolutely unblemished, and ever-ensconced in the deep, intuitional stance and cognitive bliss.]

Anádyanantaḿ kalilasya madhye vishvasya srastáramanekarúpam
Vishvasyaekaḿ pariveśt́itáraḿ jiṋátvá devaḿ mucyate sarvapáshaeh.

When one is ensconced in the exalted state due to the grace of Guru, what stage does one’s intuition reach? What sort of realization does one attain? One discovers the divine play of the Infinite Entity in each and every finite manifestation. One realizes that the Infinite Entity who is ever-present in His vast Cosmic stance is also ever-present in every molecule and atom. One experiences that the entire universe is vibrated and invigorated with His unending Cosmic flow. Every entity of this universe, big and small, every minute expression of pain and pleasure of the numerous microcosms lies within His vast Ocean of Cosmic Bliss. In this ever-playful universe He is the Supreme Arbitrator. One realizes that the Supreme Cognitive Faculty resides in His tumultuous Macrocosmic creation, and is thus the Supreme Desideratum of every finite entity. Sádhakas realize Him as manifested in His many forms, and merge their individuality in Him.

Is there any place where He does not reside? He was residing in every place long, long before you even knew it existed, filling its space with His Cosmic bliss. Thus, for the devotees, this entire universe is a blissful expression of the Supreme One.

Behind this playful stance of the Cosmic Entity lies His eternal immutable stance, which is a passive witness to the ever-changing forms of His Macropsychic manifestation. When devotees see His mutable forms with genuine spiritual vision they realize that they are already ensconced in His immutable stance. This is the state of supreme realization. In this state the miseries caused by the binding fetters vanish and the sádhakas become illuminated by the sweet touch of the playful, blissful, immutable Parama Puruśa. This is the supreme spiritual fulfilment.

Nityánandaḿ paramasukhadaḿ kevalaḿ jiṋánamúrtim;
Vishvátiitaḿ gaganasadrshaḿ tatvamasyádilakśyaḿ.
Ekaḿ nityaḿ vimalam acalaḿ sarvadhisákśiibhútam;
Bhávátiitaḿ triguńarahitaḿ Sadguruḿ Taḿ namámi.

[I offer my salutation to the Sadguru who is the embodiment of absolute knowledge in the form of eternal bliss; who provides unending joy; whose periphery extends beyond the vast azure sky, beyond the last boundary of the universe; who is One without a second, one with the import “Thou art that;” who is ever permanent, ever steadfast, ever spotless, the witness of all beyond the scope of thought, and free from the influence of the triple principles.]

Although He is hard to attain, He is not unattainable. One whose existence is saturated with the flow of knowledge, action and devotion can easily attain Him.

Bhávagráhyamaniid́ákhyaḿ bhávábhávakaraḿ shivam
Kalásargakaraḿ devaḿ ye viduste jahustanum.

You will never attain Him through your erudition, intellect, valour, or vanity. You are to attain Him through constant ideation, sweet devotional sentiment, and intense spiritual longing. You can only attain Him in exchange of your entire individual existence. As a rule, one has to offer something to a person in exchange for an object. If you want to get rice, salt, oil, butter and so on, you will have to pay money. Similarly, to attain Him you are to pay with your existential-I, you are to surrender yourself completely unto Him. Those sádhakas who have accepted the Supreme One as their only goal in life can never worship Prakrti, because they know that the entity they long to attain is everything which exists, and which is yet to exist. This vast flow of creation is the playful expression of that Eternal Entity.

The sixteen factors (śoŕashakalá) of which microcosms are composed, this entire phenomenon of creation, are the finite expressions of the Infinite Supreme Entity. Those who take shelter in that vast Integral Entity have no feelings of pettiness or individual imperfection. Such people are not born again after death. One who has known Brahma becomes Brahma.

Ye ye ujuvát́e gelá
Anávat́á bhailá soi.

[One who moves along the straight path of the susumná will not return again.]

Chapter 2	Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]

From the dawn of intellectual development human beings started their quest for their origin. Even the pre-historic humans realized that the emergence of life from the cimmerian darkness was not an accident. To unravel the mystery of creation and to find an intellectual justification for their existence, they began their deep metaphysical probing.

Before creation where did this manifest universe lie in its seed form? The Entity in which the seed lay embedded must be the noumenal cause of this phenomenal universe. The materialists identify nature as the cause of the universe. But is nature really the primordial cause? The Saḿskrta equivalent of nature is svabháva (and not Prakrti) or “characteristic” of an object. If one agrees with the materialists on this point, one will have to admit that everything in this universe comes out of svabháva. The word sva means “own”; and bháva means “idea”. So the etymological meaning of svabháva is one’s inherent ideal or fundamental characteristic. One’s own characteristic means one’s own distinctive style of expression or functioning. Hence svabháva is not the subjective counterpart, but rather an objective counterpart, and thus cannot be accepted as the noumenal cause. The way in which the universe is unfolding may be said to be the characteristic of this universe at best. The Entity behind the unceasing flow of creation is certainly not svabháva or nature. Rather, that Entity is the subject of both the universe and nature.

Svabhávameka kavayo vadanti kálam tathánye parimuhyamána
Devasyaeva mahimá tu loke yenedaḿ bhrámyate Brahma cakram.

Most materialists claim that everything is born out of nature. But they fail to clarify the true nature of this nature. Moreover, there is no consensus of opinion among them. Like idealists, they also conjecture and make incoherent statements, and throw stones in the dark. Their arguments are not based on a strong foundation. To accept something which is only a distinctive style of functioning, or which is bereft any subjective bearing, means to try to hide one’s ignorance and side-track the main issue in order to throw the unwary masses into confusion. This illustration proves just how hollow materialism is. It is very difficult to understand how these people who are reluctant to accept anything beyond perception as real agree that nature is the noumenal cause of these apparent realities.

Some philosophers declare that time is the ultimate cause. Time can best be defined as the mental measurement of the motivity of action. If this is so, how can the time factor be the absolute cause? It is true that in every atom of this expressed universe there is movement, but it is also true that the speed of movement is never uniform. Depending upon the different types of movement, the mental measurement is also not uniform. And the sense of time is not the same in all spheres. So time, the entity which undergoes transformation, the entity which is a composite of action and the unit mind, cannot be the absolute factor because it is dependent on other factors for its existence.

It would be erroneous to consider time as beginningless and endless. Because of the link between the different human minds since the distant past, time has an apparent sequential identity of being beginningless and endless. Yet time is not an unbroken singular entity. Being a form of measurement, it cannot be the subject. To ascribe authorship to the time factor would be sheer folly.

One rotation of the moon around the earth is conceptualized by the mind as a segment of time called a lunar month. The lunar month is not the agent which causes the moon to revolve, but rather is the name given by the witnessing human mind to one orbit of the moon around the earth. Thus, the lunar month has no authorship. Similarly, the awareness of the solar month arises due to the movement of the earth around the sun. Had there been no sun or earth, or had the earth not moved around the sun, there would be no solar year, nor seasons, months, days or nights. Hence relative time cannot be the ultimate factor.

Those who believe that time is a continuous and uninterrupted flow from beginninglessness to endlessness; or those who imagine time to be a special form of energy that flows from beginninglessness to endlessness in a perpetual rhythmic dance, identifying her with the energy of creation, should think deeply about the subject. Generally the time factor is given importance by those people whose goal of life is material enjoyment. In fact the underlying propensity of enjoyment which causes certain people to recognize the time factor as the ultimate cause of creation is contrary to spiritual ideology, as is the doctrine of nature (svabháva).

On deeper analysis we find that the Charvaka and other schools of materialistic philosophy propagated certain doctrines which were more a revolt against the prevailing religions than an expression of a rational and benevolent outlook. They protested loudly against the clergy or religious traders who composed the so-called scriptures in the name of dharma(in fact it was not dharma, but religion); who took advantage of the fear psychosis, in the name of god, to ruthlessly exploit society. The Charvaka and other materialistic philosophies were motivated to strike against religious exploiters. They were fully aware of the way the vested interests exploited society, and they knew that nobody had the right to deprive others of their properties, since every thing of this earth is the common patrimony of all, yet they did not endeavour to lead humans along the path of rationality or formulate a healthy social and spiritual ideology. The reason for this was that they lacked convincing arguments to stand against the sharp intellect of the vested interests. Thus, they merely attempted to negate the fundamental tenets of the vested interests, often with rather abusive language. Due to the weakness of their argumentation it was easy for the vested interests to emerge and gain strength in the subsequent period.

The rśi says, “Neither nature nor time is the ultimate cause of creation. The creation is the play of the Supreme Entity, an expression of his divine glory.”

The energy whose manifestation we notice in this universe is not without a base anywhere: it always vibrates through one of the fundamental factors. The ethereal factor, which is the subtlest of all the fundamental factors, is created due to the influence of the binding principle(Prakrti) on the Macrocosmic Consciousness. In the absence of the binding principle, the existence of ether as a fundamental factor would have remained unsubstantiated, unexpressed. Due to the influence of the subtler binding principle of Prakrti, the mind-stuff of the Cosmic Mind is crudified into the ethereal factor. Thus the mind-stuff is the essence of the ethereal factor.

The binding principle, in varying stages, is something sentient, sometimes mutative, and sometimes static. The essence in the flow of creation has been called devatá by the rśis. The binding principle which produces diversities and multiplicities is the Immanent Power, the triple-principled Prakrti.

This flow of creation, the expression of energy and the vibrations of the thought world, are moving around the Macrocosmic Nucleus, Puruśottama, who is free from bondage, yet controls all those in bondage. This vast cycle of creation is termed Brahma Cakra. The rśi says that Brahma Cakra revolves due to the exalted glory of the Supreme Entity.

Yenávrtaḿ nityamidaḿ hi sarvaḿ
Jiṋa kálkáro guńii sarvavid yah
Teneshitam karma vivartate ha
Prthvyápyate jo’nilakháni cintyam.

Puruśottama, the Nucleus of the cycle of creation, is intimately linked with all objects through His individual association (ota yoga) and pervasive association (prota yoga). He is engulfing all entities. Had He remained only as the Nucleus, having no relationship with the created objects, He would not have had any controlling capacity, and the objects would not have had any inherent dynamism. Thus the Macrocosmic Nucleus is not a mere Witnessing Entity, but is also the source of all impetus and inspiration. Being the Supreme Source, He maintains the closest contact with all microcosms and all entities.

The association of this Eternal Entity with every microcosm is that of the knower and source of inspiration. This association has caused the entitative existence of microcosms to come into being. And only due to His inherent dynamicity have unit minds developed the capacity to mentally measure time. It is therefore illogical to accept the time factor as being the ultimate cause of creation.

If one attempts to find the ultimate cause through philosophical analysis, one will have to retrace the step of the universal creation backwards along the path of cause and effect. Those who accept time or nature as being the fundamental factor will have to explain logically why they are the original cause, and why they have no preceding cause. Up till now such people have been a total failure in this respect. But wise people, in the light of theory of Brahma Cakra, can explain why this Supreme Entity and His Divine Principle are the Noumenal Cause of creation, and why they are not preceded by any previous cause.

Puruśottama is the knower of all the entities created due to the influence of the binding principles of Prakrti and is thus called Guńádhishá(Lord of the guńas). Since He controls all the entities which are guńadhiina(bound by the guńas). He is indirectly in contact with the guńas and thus cannot be called Gunátiita(beyond the guńas) or Guńavarjita(having no link with the guńas). Puruśottama is the knower of each entity in His individual association (ota yoga), and of the entire creation in His pervasive association (prota yoga), and as such is omniscient. As He knows everything, nothing can be done secretly. As He is the Entity behind the Cosmic conation, no action is possible in His absence.

None of the five fundamental factors (ethereal, aerial, luminous, liquid, solid), or their initial stages, or any so-called matter, can be called the cause of creation, because they are exclusively dependent upon the grace of the Cosmic Entity for their existence. The so-called materialistic philosophies while describing matter as the cause of creation, deliberately ignore the fundamental spirit of the low of dynamism.

Tatkarma krtvá vinviarttya bhúyastattvasya tattvena sametya yogam
Ekena dvábhyám tribhiraśtavirbhá kálena caevátmaguńaeshca-súkśmaeh.

Did the Supreme Entity, after creating the five fundamental factors in the extroversial flow of the Cosmic Imagination, put an end to the cycle of creation? No. With the emergence of the five fundamental factors one after the other, as progressively cruder expressions in the Cosmic flow, one phase of creation was complete. The other phase of creation began from that point. With the help of His Aśt́a-Prakrti(eight-fold Prakrti) and Śoŕaśa Vikrti(sixteen modifications) increasingly complex structures were created.

Today He is still creating more complex structures with the permutation and combination of any number of these factors. The growth in complexity precipitates a tremendous internal clash in microcosmic structures. Where the degree of diversity in these belligerent forces is extreme, there arises the expression of life and the capacity of mental thinking. In such cases, there is some kind of capacity to maintain an adjustment between the internal life and external life. But where life dose not evolve, and the unit mind remains unexpressed, the material structures ultimately explode in the form of jad́asphota, and, generating tremendous heat in a particular portion of the universe, provide new impetus to the Cosmic flow of creation.

When a microcosm develops as a result of the combination of the fundamental factors, it gains an awareness of the time factor. Time, as the motivity of action, comes within its micropsychic capacity of measurement. Where the time factor has become linked with the fundamental factors, the developed mind is said to be functioning. In the flow of Pratisaiṋcara, the microcosm then rushes towards the Witnessing Force (Macrocosmic Consciousness). There is also a qualitative change in the nature of bondage. In Macropsychic conation, that complex structure, with the help of the subtler binding faculties, takes the form of developed beings or human beings, who move gradually along the path of progress with the indomitable vitality of spiritual inspiration.

Árabhya karmáńi guńánvitáni bháváḿshca sarván viniyojayed yah;
Teśámabháve krtakarmanáshah karmakśaye yáti sah tattvato’nyat.

As unit macrocosms move along the path of progress, not only does thinking power develop, but various psychic propensities find expression, because the mind requires such propensities to maintain its individual existence. The driving force of the propensities leads unit beings to bondage, not to liberation. So in the earliest stage of microcosmic growth, that is, in the creatures of the primordial phase, the materialistic proclivity is predominant, and the expression of Consciousness is very little. Even after the development of greater thinking power, if the mind remains engrossed in material enjoyment instead of advancing towards Consciousness, there is a greater possibility of psychic degeneration. This is the reason why physically developed human beings should be very particular about the nature of their thoughts and actions.

Under normal circumstances living beings advance from an undeveloped stage to a developed one. Thus the history of all living beings is the history of their undeveloped stages, the history of the predominance of crude materialistic or animalistic tendencies. Timid people are always afraid of taking risks. They have immense difficulty severing their blind attachment to the past to welcome the new. They think that the life of crude pleasure is the “natural” life. Even after the development of greater psychic strength and subtle analytical power, they misuse their potentialities in the pursuit of crude pleasures. This psychic movement towards crudity is dominated by the static principle. They rapidly degenerate and court a life of mean pursuits.

But since most actions are related to matter, and since one is obliged to work in the mundane world for one’s self preservation, what should be the proper way to live? Is it possible to attain liberation from bondages even while busily engaged with the day-to-day activities of one’s life?

One will have to work. Those who wish to attain liberation from bondage will have to free themselves by their actions from the fetters of the mind (aśtapásha: bondage of lineage, vanity of culture, false sense of prestige, hatred, doubt, fear, share and censure). However, when every action is associated with the binding faculties (guńáshrayii), how can one liberate oneself by performing actions?

The rśi says that those who work only for work’s sake will be engrossed in the guńas. Their actions have every possibility of causing even greater bondage. But if people perform actions while ideating on Brahma, their actions cease to be the cause of bondage, and rather become an integral part of Brahma sádhaná. When actions are performed with the right ideation, they become part of one’s sincere endeavour to free oneself from the bondage of the fetters of the mind (páshas). As a consequence of such actions, one transcends all the bondages of the guńas and attains complete emancipation.

Hence, O sádhakas, ensure that the psychic flow of your karma Sádhaná is directed towards Brahma sádhaná. Merge your individual existence into the Cosmic existence. Transform your mundane actions into spiritual actions through your Cosmic ideation.

An expression of adhyátma yoga becomes an expression of bhuta yoga. With this ideation, and in the process of sádhaná, the sense of doership gradually vanishes and the saḿskáras (reactive momenta) get exhausted. When Brahma is realized as the actual doer of all actions, the unit mind is no longer defined as the author of actions. And with the annihilation of all saḿskáras, the microcosmic entity loses its individuality, merging into the non-attributional stance, and attaining the supreme beatitude.

There are two types of actions: pratyayamúlaka (original actions) and saḿskáramúlaka (non-original or reactive actions). Human beings have the freedom to perform original actions as they think fit, whereas in non-original actions they are mechanically guided by the mutative force of Prakrti, who creates a congenial environment for the expression of their reactive momenta. If one performs original actions while ideating that Brahma is the actual doer, surrendering the results of actions to Him, one will not acquire any saḿskáras from those actions. As one has relinquished the authorship of action, one’s unit aham (existential I) is not affected by the consequences of the actions. Thus, in the process of constant Cosmic ideation, one attains freedom from the bondages of action.

During the period of requital of the reactive momenta if one surrenders one’s samskárik saḿvedana⁽¹⁾ to the Cosmic will, then psychic afflictions will no longer remain as afflictions. One will accept endless torture and humiliation as the severe and fearful expressions of one’s dear Lord. One will feel blessed to have attained Him in that form, albeit a severe and fearful one. Thus, even in His fearful form, He assists microcosms in attaining liberation from the serpentine noose of original deeds. Developed sádhakas, instead of feeling agonized by the suffering caused by their reactive momenta, will rather feel delighted that their reactive momenta are now on the wane.

Ádih sa saḿyoganimittahetuh parastrikála dakalo’pi drst́ah
Taḿvishvarúpam bhábhútamiidyam devaḿ svacittasthamupásya púrvam

Whenever unit beings come in contact with physical objects there arises the will to do something. The unit mind can only think to act if it is linked in some way with physical objects. Citta, without an object, does not find an initial medium of vibration. At that time there is no conscious desire to acquire an object. Parama Puruśa is the fundamental cause behind the relation created between the unit mind and its objects.

In the process of Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara the psychic expressions and material molecules created by Macrocosmic conation are subject to the laws of attraction and repulsion, speed and adjustment. In accordance with these laws, a unit mind gets the opportunity to come into contact with another unit mind or the five fundamental factors. So Parama Puruśa is the efficient cause for the coordination between abstract and abstract, between abstract and matter, and between matter and matter. Microcosmic feelings of pain and pleasure are also born out of this coordination between the unit minds and the physical objects. Another result of this coordination in the awareness of the time factor which arises in the unit mind as the measure of pain and pleasure.

As there is no entity, psychic or physical, outside Saguńa Brahma, the experience of pain and pleasure is purely internal. And since the number of internal objects is unlimited, Saguńa Brahma’s pain or pleasure is also unlimited. The innumerable microcosmic minds within Him perceive time as an infinite entity. But as there is no spatial entity outside Saguńa Brahma, for Him there cannot be any awareness of the time factor as the measurement of pain and pleasure. Hence, He is beyond the periphery of the three realms of time. His emergence took place before the beginning of time, and His all-pervasiveness spans across the past, present and future. But human beings’ awareness of time does not extend very far into the past or the future.

That which is beyond the periphery of the past is called akála. Human beings, individually and collectively, only have the capacity to comprehend a fixed period of time. With the advancement of knowledge the range of time can be extended, as depicted in the pages of history; but akála (timelessness) is beyond the reach of history. Parama Puruśa, though, certainly witnesses akála, and akála sees Him, too.

This entire universe is His manifestation. Even in the period which people call akála. He was manifesting Himself as an infinite number of microcosms, and is still doing the same today. Whatever there was, is, and will be, in the crude, subtle and causal spheres of the universe, is a special manifestation of the Supreme Entity. He is adorable to all objects born out of bhava (the bundle of reactive momenta responsible for the rebirth of microcosms). By accepting Parama Puruśa as the Nucleus of this supracosmic flow of imagination, unit beings can establish themselves on the path of progress. To assimilate the essence of that Supreme Entity with undivided attention and a pure heart is the highest sádhaná.

Sa brkśakalákrtibhi paro’nyo yasmát prapaiṋca parivarttateyam
Dharmábaham pápanudam bhagesham jinnátvátmasthamamrtaḿ vishvadháma.

Everyone has the right to hold the Supreme Entity in their citta, but can His form be held in the same way as the objects of the quinquelemental world? No. He cannot be perceived in the same way as things like horses, elephants or buildings. Instead He must be perceived by the citta as its sustaining force. The citta radiates with His brilliant effulgence. When the citta is expanded beyond its limits, the microcosmic mind ultimately will be transformed into the Macrocosmic Mind.

The ordinary criteria of the perceivable world⁽²⁾ are conspicuously absent in Him. He is beyond anything mundane, including the time factor. The five fundamental factors which shelter in His vast Macropsychic body are moving endlessly through constant changes. The vibration of the universal Prańa dharma is emanating from Him. He is the universal singer of the song of dharma.

The performance of sinful deeds in contrary to the introversive and extroversive Macrocosmic flow. Thus he endeavours constantly to pull microcosms out of the mire of sin and lead them to Supreme benevolence.

He is Bhagaván, the master of the divine qualities (bhaga): unbounded occult power (aeshvarya), infinite valour (viirya), limitless reputation (yasah), endless charm (shrii), immeasurable knowledge (jiṋána), and supreme non-attachment(vaerágya). Aeshvarya includes ańima (the power to become the lightest), mahimá (the power to become the heaviest), vyápti (the power of maximum expansion), prakámiya (the power to get every desire fulfilled), iishitva (the power to exert complete and natural control over something), vashitva (the power to enter into something and bring it under one’s control), and prápti or kámavasháyitva (the Supreme attainment). But, as Bhagesha He is superior even to Bhagaván, and is therefore above all bondages (Guńádhiisha). I have already told you that He is not Guńátiita (beyond the scope of bondage) as it is commonly understood.

It is not enough to hold this vast Puruśottama in the citta: rather, one will have to come in His contact and realize Him as the Creator of the universe deep within oneself. Only then can one attain immortality. The supreme goal of sádhaná is not to ideate on Him, but to bring about a total merger of the unit mind in the Cosmic mind, of the unit consciousness in the Cosmic Consciousness. This is the only real attainment in human life.

Which is the best way to attain Him? Some people preach the excellence of knowledge, others proclaim the importance of action, and others emphasize the superiority of devotion. In my opinion all three – knowledge, action and devotion – are necessary. But devotion is more important than the other two, because it is the most helpful in the process of merging oneself in the Supreme. In the regard the role of knowledge and action is secondary. Knowledge and action can produce a feeling of vanity in the human mind at any moment, and actually they do just that. However, even if a devotee develops some devotional vanity, it will not do much harm, because it is still the Supreme Lord who remains as the devotee’s object of vanity. Herein lies the excellence of the cult of devotion. Bhagaván Shankarácárya said, Mokśa kárańa samagráḿ bhatireva gariiyasii. “Of all the ways to attain salvation, devotion is the best”.

Those who advance along the path of knowledge while maintaining devotional spirit eventually attain Brahma in the form of an embodiment of knowledge and merge into the Ocean of Consciousness. But those who acquire knowledge for knowledge’s sake, ignoring their worldly duties, will meet an unhappy end. Devotees, however, discovering the playful expressions of their Lord in everything, remain deeply absorbed in the flow of bliss. They do not neglect anything or any entity, but prefer to endlessly enjoy the ocean of sweet bliss while sincerely carrying out their mundane duties. Here lies the charm of the cult of devotion. And, if supplemented by knowledge this devotion becomes even more charming. In this case the devotees, at the end of their enjoyment of divine bliss, become ensconced in the eternal Macrocosmic Stance, and lose their individual identities in the Supreme One. To be established in that exalted state both knowledge and devotion are necessary. To complement them action is an invaluable aid for mental perfection. (citta shuddhi).

Human life is meant for the practice of this blissful path of sádhaná. For those who fail to undertake this practice, it becomes pointless to continue carrying the burden of existence.

Játashca eva jagati jantavah sádhujiivitáh
Ye punarneha jáyante sheśáh jat́hara gardabháh.

Success and fulfilment in life lie in the spiritual pursuit. Only by pleasing one’s Lord through sincere spiritual practice can one attain freedom from the cycle of birth and death. Those who do not follow the spiritual path, even after being born on this earth in human form, can be said to be misusing their vital force and intellectual capacity. The wise say that such people are no better than donkeys. (Jatáharagardabhá). The great devotee Narottamdás Thákur also said,

Krśńa bhajibár tare saḿsáre áinu
Miche Máyáy baddha haye’ brkśasama hainu.

[To worship Lord Krśńa I came onto this earth, but unfortunately I became like a tree caught up in the snare of illusion.]

Brahma sádhaná (intuitional practice) is the first and the foremost duty in human life. In spiritual practice, there is no scope for pompous exhibitionism. Momentum in spiritual practice is gained through deep sincerity, and rapid progress is made through the cultivation of prańipatena (self-surrender), pariprashnena (appropriate querying) and sevayá (selfless service).

On this path one must move in unison with many, because this path is the path of synthesis, of non-differentiation. Genuine dharma-sádhakas will never bother to know whether one is a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian. All are the spatial, temporal or personal expressions of the same dear Lord. True dharma-sádhakas can never engage themselves in any fratricidal war in the name of prapatti (spirit of self-surrender) or dharma. They can never waste their valuable time arguing which propounder of which religion is superior, or inferior. Their only endeavour is to inspire people to develop a pinnacled intellect and pursue the synthetic path of knowledge, devotion and action, a path which is totally free from narrow, communal prejudices. They will not give the least importance to ritualistic differences.

Where there is no internal progress, where there is no effort made for the attainment of Brahma, we cannot call it dharma, it is simply religion. Human beings must not entertain any divisive religious tenets. People must be freed from the spell of scriptural authority and led along the path of rationality. They should be made to understand that to run towards Parama Brahma – the essence of all essences – is the one and only dharma. There is no other dharma for human beings.

Oṋḿ namaste sate sarvaloká shrayáya
Namaste cite vishvarúpátmakáya.
Namo’dvaetatáttváya muktipradáya
Namo Brahmańe vyápine nirguńáya.
Tvamekaḿ smareńyaḿ tvamekaḿ vareńyaḿ
Tvamekaḿ jagatkárańaḿ vishvarúpam.
Tvamekaḿ jagatkartrpátr prahartr
Tvamekaḿ paraḿ nishcalaḿ nirvikalpam.
Bhayánáḿ bhayaḿ bhiiśańaḿ bhiiśańánáḿ
Gatih práńináḿ pávanám pávanánám.
Mahoccaeh padánáḿ niyantrtvanekaḿ
Paresháḿ paraḿ rakśakaḿ rakśakánám.
Paresha prabho sarvarúpavináshinna
Nirdeshya sarvsendriyágamyasatya.
Acintyákśara vyapakávyaktatattva
Jagadbhásakádhiisha páyádapáyát.
Tvamekaḿ smarámastvamekaḿ japáma
Stvamekaḿ jagatsákśiirúpaḿ namámah.
Tvamekaḿ nidhánaḿ nirálambamiisham
Bhavámbodhi potaḿsharańaḿ vrajámah.

We are running and shall continue to run to take shelter aboard the only dependable ship on the ocean of the physical universe - the Supreme Entity. That Supreme Entity is the only shelter of all (though He Himself has no shelter). We have none but Him, we have no other desideratum.

Tamiishvaráńaḿ Paramaḿ Maheshvaráńáḿ
Tvaḿ devatánáḿ Paranaḿca daevataḿ
Patiḿ Patiináḿ Paramaḿ Parastád
Vidáma devaḿ bhuvaneshamiid́yam.

In this universe those entities which are considered controllers of events are often called gods or devatá. There are various controllers for various events. Parama Puruśa is the Controller of all these controllers and hence is called Parameshvara or Maheshvara. Each and every presiding deity of every expression of Cosmic energy is called devatá or god. Parama Brahma is the God of all gods. Behind each and every action, there is a particular vibrational flow of Brahma. Those who seek to know that particular vibrational flow without trying to know the entire entitative bearing of Brahma, only discern a partial expression of Brahma which they call god or devata.

Suppose you are studying and learning something, by the grace of Brahma. The particular abstract faculty of Brahma with the help of which you are able to acquire knowledge, is called Sarasvatii (the goddess of learning) whose acoustic root is aem. These so-called gods or goddesses are nothing more than certain finite expressions of the infinite Supreme Entity. Ignorant people want to remain preoccupied with the replicas rather than the Original Entity and worship the finite gods and goddesses instead of the Supreme Entity. Deaf to the Cosmic sound, oṋḿkara, which represents the vast Cosmic Entity, they endeavour to fulfill their desires by clinging to the acoustic sounds of the gods which are only a limited fraction of that all-pervasive oṋḿkára.

Is it wise for human beings to remain obsessed with the finite expressions, forgetting the Supreme Source(the Causal Matrix)? It may be that the Supreme Entity is beyond the periphery of human comprehension, but should one ascribe finitude to Him simply to bring Him within the periphery of the human mind? He is the Master of all masters, the Controller of all controllers. He is higher than the highest dignitary of the world. He is wiser than the one you consider to be the wisest, more handsome than the one you consider to be the most handsome.

That Lord of the universe is to be adored by all. He is beyond the periphery of your tiny analytical mind. If you try to judge Him, or analyse Him, or use your vocal power to describe Him, you will be utterly disappointed. However hard you may try, you will end up banging your head against a wall, for you will never attain Him. The only way to attain Him is to merge your individual I-feeling into His vast Macrocosmic I-feeling. That Supreme Entity, who is greater than any other great entity, is the Supreme Desideratum of all organisms.

Footnotes

(1) The mental state born out of one’s embedded saḿskáras; in strict philosophical parlance it should be called pratisaḿvedana because saḿskáras are imbibed while performing original actions.

(2) [[Literally, “The traits of the worldly tree that are visible to people”.]] For a materialist, the criterion which makes a tree a tree is that its roots are firmly planted in the ground to draw nourishment from the Earth. For a spiritualist, however, the tree is depicted as having its roots in the air, for sustenance is drawn, not from the mundane world, but from the Universal Spirit. –Trans.

Chapter 3	Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]

The identity of any object is determined by its special characteristics. The human mind gains knowledge of an object through perception or cognition when one or more than one of its characteristics are conspicuously manifested. Thus we understand that this is water, that is fire, this is a deer, that is night, this is kindness, that is experience, and so on. These characteristics are indicative of certain actions; that is, the objects give expression to their inherent characteristics through actional expressions. Hence the nature of influence that is exerted by one object on another is what is called its special characteristics.

Actional expressions are determined by the nature of the guńas (binding principles). Where there is no guńa, there is no actional expression. Consequently, there is no manifestation of the inherent characteristics of an object. An entity in which the guńas operate is called baddha puruśa (one in bondage). Such entities exist throughout the universe in various abstract and concrete forms. Having been limited by the guńas to certain lines of demarcation, it is possible to perceive them with the help of the physical senses as well as the mind. The guńas bring the abstract within the scope of the the world of perception, conception and sensation.

The body and mind of the microcosm are under the bondage of Máyá, so microcosmic consciousness is also baddha puruśa. By its actional expression it tries to maintain an existence separate from the Macrocosmic Consciousness. What is the difference between baddha puruśa and Brahma? If Brahma were also the manifestation of the play of the guńas then He would also have certain characteristics. But no, Brahma is not in bondage. The gunas exist within Him, but in a dormant form, subservient to Him. Due to this association with the guńas, He is called Guńádhiisha.

For the external manifestation of the guńas a second entity is essential, just as a path is necessary if one wishes to move, and food is necessary if one wishes to eat. But Brahma is infinite and endless, One without the second. As there is no entity other than Him, the guńas cannot be manifested externally, so He is devoid of any fundamental characteristics or actional expression.

Na tasya káryaḿ kárańaiṋca vidyate
Na tatsamashcá bhyadhikashca drshyate
Parásya shaktirvividhaeva shrúyate
Svábhábikii jiṋánabalakriyá ca

You can not point to gold, silver, iron, sand or stone and say, “ This is the life of my life” because each is a mere quinquelemental object. Akhańd́a cidaekarasah Brahma: Brahma is an unbroken flow of Consciousness. Is Brahma really devoid of external characteristics? Yes. There is nothing outside Him and thus no way to discern His characteristics from without. So is He also devoid of internal characteristics? No. Regarding actional expression, He is certainly devoid of characteristics, but where there is an expression of internal assimilation, He certainly does possess characteristics. In His internal body there is an incessant flow of thought which causes the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the entire universe. This Macrocosmic thought process originates and functions within the Cosmic Mind, and takes place due to the influence of the three guńas. Hence He is the Máyádiisha (Lord of Máyá) and Guńádiisha. And being Gúńádiisha He is also Saguńa Brahma (Attributional Brahma), and as such possesses certain characteristics.

Yato vá imáni bhútani
Jáyante yena játáni jiivanti
Yatprayantyabhisaḿvishanti
Tadvijijiṋásasva tadbrahma.

All the created beings emerge, are maintained and finally dissolve in the flow of Cosmic ideation. So try to know that Supreme Entity, the veritable Brahma. In Tantra the same idea has been expressed,

Yato vishvaḿ samudbhútaḿ yenajátaiṋca tiśt́hati
Yasmin sarváńi liiyante jiṋayaḿ tadbrahmalakśaeńaeh.

The entity in whom the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe takes place is Brahma.

The characteristics of Brahma which have been described in the Vedas or in Tantra are only in the form of conation, as internal psychic thoughts, and not as in the form of externalized actions. Rśi Shvetáshvetara rightly observed, Na tasya káryaḿ karańaiṋca vidyate – “He is neither an agent nor an instrument of action (karańa)”.

What is the meaning of karańa here? The instruments or machines through which the mind performs actions are the body and brain. There are two types of karańa: vahihkarańa (external instrument) and antahkarańa (internal instrument). In the case of human beings the external instruments are the five sensory and five motor organs. These organs help them to perform actions while being in contact with external physicalities and to externalize their inherent microcosmic characteristics. Mental thought processes are expressed through the internal instruments, namely the mind and the internal indriyas(the mental ears, eyes, hand, vocal cord, etc) Karańa does not directly mean these internal instruments – it refers to the external instruments – and that is why it has been mentioned that Brahma has no karana. For the entity outside whom nothing exists there is no object to be held, no path to be walked on, no form to be seen, nor any sound to be heard. Thus He has no external organs either. In the beginning He made a resolve (saḿkalpa): “I am one. Let there be many.” His imaginative flow has now taken the form of the universe. His vast mind which made this resolution and from which the flow of imagination (vikalpa) emerges is endowed with infinite possibilities. Hence numerous entities are being created at a time.

His vast mind pervades each of His mental creations having complex structures (microcosms). The psychic thought, psychophysical projections, and mental objects of microcosms are all limited. No microcosm can create a universe independently unless it becomes one with His ideation, but then it will have no separate existence.

The Macrocosmic mind remains unassailed in all circumstances, for He is the only one, He is the Supreme Authority. The Entity who becomes active within His vast cosmic body, exerting a tremendous influence over the microcosms is Máyá, His immanent power. Brahma Himself does not do anything but remains unassailed as Máyádhiisha (Lord of Máyá).

Máyá and Prakrti are virtually synonymous. When Prakrti remains unmanifest in a balance state in the triangle of forces she is called Prakrti (Operative Principle), and when she works within the unbalanced triangle of forces she is usually called Máyá (Creative Principle).

Whatever Entity Máya creates is unique for it is characterized by its own special traits. No two objects cast in the same mold are exactly identical. Any two objects of this world may be similar, but not identical because every object is created in a particular stage of His imaginative flow and completed in another stage.

In his internal body a tremendous phenomenon is constantly taking place. Endless matter is drifting in His Cosmic flow. Due to the constant friction in the material body, and the systaltic flow of energy, unending diversity is created. Due to the variation in the nature of the systaltic flow in both animate and inanimate bodies, there is increasing complexity. Life is created in extremely complex physical structures due to ceaseless internal struggle and external clash. The mind is created as the apparent controller of vital energy Material structures endowed with both life and mind are called animate beings (plants, animals and human beings).

Microcosms, endowed with the physical body (annamaya kośa), psychic body, crude mind, subtle mind and causal mind, are the natural expressions of the Supreme Entity. They derive their physical, psychic and spiritual energy from that Entity who is behind the vast, imaginative cosmic flow. Microcosms acquire so many qualities from Him, yet it is said that He is devoid of the actional faculty. The physical bodies of microcosms are nothing but the mind-stuff of the Macrocosm. No matter how crude an object might be in the relative world, it is nothing but the psychic thought-wave of the Macrocosm.

Whatever microcosms imagine in their citta remains as a thought and is not perceived externally. And the physical body which is perceived as reality by the microcosms, is only a transformed state of Cosmic ectoplasm. The psychic body of the microcosm is nothing but the mental power of the Cosmic Mind concentrated in certain of its sub-centres. The physical structures are also sub-centres. Due to the differences in the complexity of the structures there is a greater or lesser degree of expression of psychic energy. The spiritual power of the microcosms is nothing but a shadow of the reflected Macrocosmic Consciousness on the microcosmic mental plate.

Even though there is immense diversity in the Cosmic Body of Brahma, He remains His usual singular self. Being neither karańa (instrument of action), nor action, He has no external perceptible characteristics.

Na tasya kaschit patirasti loke na veshitá
Naeva ca tasya liuṋgam
Sa kárańaḿ karańádhipádhipo na cásya
Kashcijjanitá na cá dhipah

Every unit mind can function freely in the realm of imagination. Take the case of India. During the period of subjugation, when the inhabitants of India were denied the freedom of movement and speech and the right to organize themselves, they still had the power to think. It was the collective thought of the Indian people which finally got physical expression and helped them to attain the freedom of independence. Thus in the sphere of imagination every microcosm enjoys independence, the power of a king. But one can only imagine according to the capacity of the mind. One may have unlimited freedom, but one does not have unlimited capacity. The closer one comes to the Supreme Consciousness in the introversive flow of the Cosmic Imagination (Pratisaiṋcara), the more one’s mental capacity increases, and the more one’s spirit of independence is expressed. When one finally becomes established in Supreme Consciousness, one realizes that the Supreme Entity has limitless psychic power and freedom of expression.

There is no feeling of contraction in the Supreme Entity. There cannot be, for contraction is caused by the influence of external forces, and in Him external forces are absent. He is not required to work under anyone’s direction. In the three worlds He has no master or controller, rather He is the Supreme Controller. As He is infinite, He has no physical body and as such there cannot be any difference of gender/sex in Him. That’s why in Vedic scriptures the pronoun “it” (neuter gender) is often used instead of “he” or “she” for Brahma.

The rśi says, Naeva ca tasya liuṋgam – “He is beyond sex differentiation.” This word liuṋgam can also be explained in a different way. (vide Human Society Pt. II)

According to the law of causation, the cause (liuṋga) of one event or object is the effect of a previous cause. Brahma has no cause because the three relative factors (time, space and person) upon which the law of cause and effect depends, are them selves dependent on His Cosmic thought wave. Nothing existed before Brahma and thus any cause of which Brahma could be the effect was beyond the periphery of the Cosmic thought wave. Hence Brahma is called Akárańa (causeless), Aja (unborn), and Aliuṋgat (having no preceding cause).

Although He has no cause, He is the cause of each and every manifestation in the universe (which can be divided into three categories – physical, psychic and causal – from the microcosmic point of view). Everything is His mental creation. As the Cause, where He has given His mental imagination the physical form, it appears to human beings as the solid factor. Likewise, His ethereal, aerial, luminous, and liquid manifestations appear respectively as ether, air, fire and water to human beings.

He is also called Karańádhipádhipo. Here karańa means sense organs (indriyas). The Lord of the indriyas is the mind ( indriyánáḿ manonáthah). But He is the Lord of the mind. Being above the microcosmic stance, none can have any authority over Him.

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam;
Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati.⁽¹⁾

Puruśa has been creating this vast universe with the help of His mental power and the limitless possibilities of His ectoplasm. It is true that His ectoplasmic creations are not infinite, but His ectoplasmic possibilities are infinite. He utilizes His immense possibilities just as the spider uses its thread to create innumerable types of webs.

Yastúrńanábha iva tantubhih pradhánajaeh.
Svabhávato deva ekah svamábrńot.
Sa no dadhádbrahmápyayam.

“Just as a spider maintains a close vigilance over all parts of its web while sitting immobile in its centre, similarly Puruśottama exists at the nucleus of the universe as the witnessing entity, free from the influence of Prakrti.” The rśi says, “Let the Supreme Entity, who is creating the vast universe with His Immanent Power, guide our pinnacled intellect so that we can realize Him in the true light.”

Only Parama Puruśa has the capacity to impart the knowledge of intuitional science, and then by His grace alone. If He does not teach, how can one learn? In the absence of true knowledge one will fall into the snares of the material world. One should pray to Him to awaken one’s intellect so that one can realize from the depth of one’s being that “ I am Brahma”. In the Vedas, a prayer is often made to Brahma asking Him to provide inspira tion to all microcosms to connect their intellect to Cosmic Consciousness – Sa no buddhyá shubhayá saḿyunaktu. This is the main theme of the Savitri Rk. (Gayatrii Mantra) is this. Dhiyo yo nah pracodayát.

As the Cause behind this expressed universe, does the Supreme Entity perform actions? In one sense, He does, and in another sense, He doesn’t. If one wishes to know whether He does or does not, one will have to become one with Him. There is no other alternative.

Eko Devah sarvabhúteśu gúd́hah sarvavyápii sarvabhútántarátmá;
Karmádhyakśa sarvabhútádhivásah sákśii cetá kevalo nirguńashca.⁽²⁾

That Supreme Singular Entity, reflected in all mental plates, and permeating all fundamental factors, is lying covert everywhere. He pervades everything, manifested or unmanifested, thinkable or unthinkable. He is Paramátman, the origin of all Jiivátmans, the inner consciousness of all. Although He is not the direct author of actions, He is the Supreme Controller of all actions. All entities gain their power from the power He radiates in His imaginative flow; all entities gain the strength to act from His strength. The cognitive faculty of all microcosms is contained in His Consciousness. A microcosm is nothing but an infinitesimal part of the Macrocosm, just as a spark is a tiny fraction of the huge fire. He is Sarvabhútádhivása, the vast shelter of all fundamental factors.

Every incident of this universe takes place within His mind every entity is a creation of His vast imagination. He does not require hands and legs to do his work. He guides and rejuvenates all with His psychic power. He observes the game of the universe, its microcosms, and flow of energy as a silent witness. Remain ing hidden behind the divine game of endless bliss He exists as unassailed Puruśa. Sákśiicetá kevalah nirguńasca. For recognition of actional expression His witness-ship is necessary. Hence He is the witness to every phenomenon. The capacity of witness-ship is only possible for a conscious entity. He is Consciousness personified. He is One and only One. Being above the guńas (qualities), He is Guńádhiisha, Guńátiita or Nirguńa (non-attributional).

Eko vashii nirkriyánáḿ bahunám ekam
Biijaḿ bahudhah yah kotita
Taḿatmasthaḿ yenapashyanti dhiiráśtesyám
Sukharaḿ sháshvataḿ nesareram

People generally surrender to a person who is endowed with greater physical, psychic or spiritual power than themselves. Parama Brahma is superior to all in all respects. He is the greatest of all. Hence the entire universe is under His control. In the absence of power from this Supreme Authority, all the created entities would lose their vital force. By providing vocal power He makes the mute eloquent, and by providing the power of movement, He makes the lame traverse mountains. He is one, but the potentialities of an infinite number of seeds lie within Him. Whatever you create in your mind, be it a cow, a horse, or a goat, you cannot give it an independent mind or make it a separate entity. Your mind is a singular entity, you do not have any power to divide it. But the Cosmic Entity possesses infinite mental power. He alone has the capacity to create numerous entities out of His mental body.

Intelligent people realize Parama Puruśa deep in their unit souls, after surrendering themselves at His divine altar. Only by becoming one with Him does one attain the infinite and the eternal. To merge in Him, the path of self-surrender is the only path. Wealth cannot help one to attain Him; one cannot buy the mind or devotion with money. In order to receive devotion one must give devotion. One has to give a similar object in exchange for the object one desires. If you want something material such as rice, pulse, oil, or salt, you will have to pay with something material – money. If you want to attract the attention of someone’s mind you will have to give your mind in return. If you want to win over a subtle mind, crude money will not help you. To attain Paramátman, you will have to offer your jiivátman. You should not hold back even a small fraction of your existential “I” feeling, but sacrifice your entire self in the fire of Brahma. Remember, where “I” exist He does not, and where “He” exists, I do not. If you think you can buy rice without spending your money, you are mistaken – your money will stay in your pocket and the rice will remain in the shop. You will never hold it in your hands. Similarly, if you cling to the remnants of your existential I-feeling, you will never attain Brahma. Those who practice the cult of self-surrender are wise; the rest are fools. The rśi says, “Inferior people, people of animal nature, are afraid of the cult of surrender and can never hope to merge in Him.”

Nityá nityánáḿ cetanshcetanánáḿ
Eko bahunáḿ yo vidadháti kámán
Tatkárańan saḿkhya yogádhigamyaḿ
Jiṋátvá devaḿ mucyate sarvapáshae.

The quality of permanence of those entities of the world we consider as permanent comes from Him alone. To the transient mundane objects jiivátman is a permanent entity, but this perma nence is fully dependent on the grace of Paramátman. All animate objects acquire their psychic power, their consciousness, from Him and Him alone. He is the Consciousness of all conscious entities.

He, the Supreme Singular Entity, provides each microcosm with the objects it requires according to the intensity of its respective desires. To the creatures living in the deep depths of the vast ocean He has provided sensitive feelers, fins and protective scales for the fulfilment of their long-cherished desires. To the aquatic creatures He has given the capacity to radiate light. To those animals who have nurtured the desire to defeat their powerful foes, he has provided weapons: deadly poison, sharp claws, long horns and intelligent minds; and for those animals who wish to escape attack he has provided defence mechanisms such as lightning speed and camouflage. Due to His unique magnanimity and benevolent consideration for others, He is the Lord of the universe. When you develop this magnanimity and spirit of well-being for others, you will also become one with Him.

All the philosophical treatises such as the Saḿkhya, and the entire spiritual cult, have been propounded to help human beings to attain Him, Parama Brahma, the only true goal. After attaining Him, or even by ideating on Him, one’s small mind will expand to the size of the vast Cosmic Mind, snapping all the bondages of the fetters (páshas) and the enemies (ripus) which had hitherto kept the unit mind limited.

This process of expanding the mind to attain liberation from the bondages of fetters and enemies is sádhaná. And the best method of sádhaná is iishvara pranidhána. Will it suffice to practice iishvara prańidhána while sitting alone at home? The one who performs bad actions in society and attempts to practice Iishvara Prańidhána at home for hours will not succeed: impure thoughts will certainly flash in the mind and disturb the smooth flow of the process of meditation. One cannot be successful in iishvara prańidhána if one does not sincerely observe the other points of yama and niyama in the external world. Those who say that the practice of dharma is purely an individual affair are mistaken. Dharma is very much the concern of the entire society. Unless one’s sincere endeavour to follow the path of dharma is extended to collective life, one will never free the mind from the bondages of pettiness, and sitting in a closed room in the name of dharma sádhaná will be an utter waste of time.

Bhidyate hrdayagranthishcidyante Sarvasaḿshyáh
Kśiiyante cásya karmáńi tasmin drśte parávare.

The narrowness of a unit mind in bondage is removed by the sustained effort to perform sádhaná at home and in the society at large. Through the all-embracing practice of sádhaná one will achieve the fullest expression of one’s potentialities. If the mind is narrow, Brahma sádhaná is futile.

Brahma sádhakas love people not by considering their nation ality, but as manifestations of Brahma. They could never wage a war based on the petty sentiments of casteism or provincialism, but would readily take up arms to defend justice and righteous ness against the evils of injustice. They are constantly aware that Parama Puruśa is their Father and Parama Prakrti, their mother. Hararme pitá gaorii mátá svadeshah bhuvanatryam.

The friendly glow of fireworms and the happy twinkling of stars become almost indiscernible on the night of the full moon. And on the day of the full moon one cannot see the moon if the sun shines brightly in the sky. When a bright entity appears, the less luminous fade away. With the appearance of the big, the small disappear. As one’s mind begins to expand, one’s small-I begins to lose its existence, and in the final stage of expansion, vanishes altogether.

Na tatra súrya bháti na candratárakaḿ
Nemá vidyuto bhańti kuto’yamagnih.
Tameva bhántamanubháti sarvaḿ
Tasya bhásá sarvamidaḿ vibháti.

In His presence, the moon, the stars and even the brilliant sun becomes lustreless. Electricity has no light before Him, what to speak of fire. All these shining objects derive their brilliance from Him. Their existence depends entirely on His existence. He is an embodiment of effulgence. He is the source and foundation of all life in the universe. All entities shine with His radiance. One will have to accept Him as the only object of one’s mind. One who does not do that is a fool, and will eventually lament with tears of sorrows in the eyes,

Vrtha janama Gounáyalu hena prabhu ná bhajalu
Khoyáyáhin soha guńanidhi
Hamára Karama manda námilala eka bunda
Prema sindhu rasaka avadhi

Alas, I spent my life in vain pursuits. Never having worshipped the merciful Lord, I have lost the most precious treasure. How woefully unlucky I am that I did not receive even one drop of the nectar of His divine love.

Footnotes

(1) Rgveda Puruśasúktam. –Trans.

(2) Shvetáshvataropaniśad. –Trans.

Chapter 4	Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]

The major difference between the development of human beings and that of animals is that the latter is fully action-oriented. Animals are not guided by knowledge, intellect, nor conscience, but by the sanction of experience and the allurement of crude enjoyment. Humans, however, are both action and knowledge-oriented. In addition to experience they are guided by the sanction of intellect, the inspiration of conscience and the spirit of benevolence. On the basis of this difference in the process of development, one should distinguish humans from animals. An animal cannot transcend its animal characteristics, but a human being, when freed from all petty sentiments and endowed with an ardent desire to attain the supreme, can reach the pinnacle of human glory.

Whatever the humans do, whether guided by crude instincts or the desire for eternal peace, is motivated by the desire for enjoyment. This desire may focus on petty or vast objects, or may be crude or sublime according to the nature of one’s innate saḿskáras. When the desire for enjoyment concerns petty material objects, the expressions will be purely action-oriented, and the mentality will be animal-like. However, when the desire for enjoyment concerns the vast and the sublime, the expressions will be action and knowledge-oriented and one’s outlook will be truly human. The innate characteristic of an animal is to derive crude pleasure from physical objects, and that animals mistakenly think crude pleasure to be happiness. But those humans who shine with spiritual radiance and observe the world with an all-embracing vision, can never satisfy their unquenchable thirst with finite material objects. They are the real humans. They realize that happiness does not lie in finite objects but in infinity.

Nálpe sukhamasti bhumaeva sukham.

In the flow of Pratisaiṋcara the cosmic cycle of creation all animate entities – the plants, trees, worms, insects, reptiles, birds, mammals and human beings – are advancing from crudity to subtlety. Even those who say, “I won’t move, I will sit by the wayside,” cannot escape this relentless movement. Everyone must move. Some will move with the flow of creation under the direct guidance of the Cosmic Will; others, whose consciousness is slightly more developed, may move against the flow, that is, towards animality or physicality, by means of their will-power; and others, by virtue of their developed consciousness will accelerate their progress along the Cosmic flow. This psycho-spiritual progress is not possible by mere actional faculty, and hence, it is beyond the capacity of animals.

Through knowledge, one should ascertain the best path and the proper direction to take, and then advance along it with ceaseless efforts. This path of movement is the path towards the Supreme attainment (Paramaŕtha). By knowing and understanding the path as well as the goal of life, and acting accordingly, one will unify oneself with the Supreme Desideratum in the end. Total merger with the Cosmic Desideratum becomes a reality through absolute sincerity. Hence, the rśi says that to attain the Supreme, knowledge and action are not enough, the real success is absolutely dependent on devotion. Those who possess actional faculty and knowledge will advance no doubt, but they will fail to attain the highest goal. This highest attainment depends entirely on one’s kevalá bhakti (the highest category of devotion).

By perfecting knowledge, action and devotion, should one strive to attain Puruśa (Consciousness)? Or Prakrti (Operative Principle)? Or a composite of Puruśa and Prakrti? Although Puruśa and Prakrti are inseparable, one should only try to attain Puruśa, not Prakrti. In the attempt to merge with the all-pervasive Consciousness (Puruśa), Prakrti, the Operative Principle, may sometimes be expressed, or may sometimes lie dormant in Puruśa.

Puruśa is the culminating point, not Prakrti. Though Prakrti has the predominant role in creation, Puruśa is the fundamental stuff of which the creation has been made. Prakrti is merely creating innumerable transient forms out of that fundamental stuff. Hence, although Prakrti creates the universe, She does not and cannot create the original stuff or ingredients of creation. When Prakrti’s influence over Puruśa reaches its peak, crude objects are created in the physical universe. The more the influence of Prakrti on Puruśa, the greater the degree of crudity and solidity of objects. What we call energy (shakti) in the relative world is not synonymous with Prakrti. Shakti is created at an earlier stage (in Saiṋcara) due to the influence of the Operative Principle (Prakrti) on the Cognitive Principle (Puruśa). The greater the degree of static bondage of Prakrti, the greater and quicker the transformation of energy into crude objects. Whatever is expressed as crude, subtle or causal factors is nothing but a metamorphosed form of energy. Even the psychic world is but a subtler stage of energy. And this is why we observe that energy and mental force appear to be the same thing. Mental force very often performs the same functions as physical force.

The practice of Sádhaná aims at converting the crude physical energy into subtle psychic energy, and the psychic energy into spiritual energy or cognitive faculty, and in the final stage enables the practitioner to become one with the Supreme Entity. Thus, in successive stages, sádhaná converts matter into energy, energy into idea, idea into consciousness, and at the highest stage, ensconces one within Supreme Consciousness.

So the goal of sádhaná is to establish one’s self in the cognitive Principle (Puruśa). Puruśa is everywhere in everything. In fact every manifestation is a form of Puruśa bound by the principles of Prakrti. Your goal is not the Puruśa who is bound by Prakrti; your goal is that Puruśa in whom Prakrti lies dormant, the Puruśa who is free from all bondage. You will have to realize through real knowledge that He is absolutely unblemished all-knowing and unbiased. While performing actions you must remember that the manifested world of both individual and collective forms is His manifestation, and through devotion you should realize that He is the life of your life, the Lord of your inner heart. You should not try to look for any other Entity.

Eko haḿso bhuvanasyásya madhya sa evágnih salile sanniviśtah
Tvameva viditváti mrtyumeti nányah panthá vidyateyanáya.

A follower of the cult of knowledge knows that in the universe Puruśa (or Haḿsa) is One. When the unit mind is bound by limitations, only pluralities and multiplicities can be seen. But in that Entity which is beyond the periphery of mind, there is no scope for pluralities. In fact, with regard to Brahma, no numerals such as two, three or four can be used, because numerals come within the scope of psychic knowledge only.

Only the word “One” can be used regarding Brahma, not because He is one in number, but because we cannot logically divide Him into any parts or segments. He is beyond the limitation of space, time, and individuality. In Him svajátiiya, (differences within the same species), vijatiiya (differences between species) and svagata (differences within the same unit being) are absent. There cannot be two Infinite and Endless Entities; if there were one would have to become finite.

It is impossible to describe the inner essence of Puruśa to the microcosm, for He is beyond the scope of human mind.

Shivaḿ cidánandarúpaḿadbhútam.

Fire and water are apparently two contradictory things. Yet in water He lies in a subtle way as fire-energy. This may sound very strange: that the fire, which turns water into vapour, the fire which appears as something so contradictory to water; lies latent in every molecule and atom of water. Oxygen, which burns objects, is one of the basic components of water – a compound object.

Just as the force of fire is bound with, though seemingly unrelated to, the very existence of water, similarly He is in the mind, beyond the scope of the mind. Sádhakas should realize that He is the only goal, the only Entity for whom one should yearn.

To attain Him, the flow of the microcosmic mind should be directed towards Him alone. Those for whom Puruśa is the only object of constant ideation, the be-all and end-all of life, unfold their cognitive faculty by degrees, thus acquiring the strength to overpower the static bondages and become established in the spiritual stance. This Supreme Entity is beyond all limitations. To grasp the real nature of this Entity, one must develop an integral outlook by transcending all the bondages of narrow sentiments and isms. Where there are no bondages of limitations, where there is no domineering influence of Prakrti, there cannot be the four so-called noble truths as propounded by Buddha: sorrow, the causes of sorrow, the cessation of sorrow and the means for the cessation of sorrow. It is absolutely meaningless to attempt to attain immortality or absolute bliss in any way other than by ideating on the Eternal one (the state of Vajrasiddha by the Buddhists) who is totally unassailed by vicious cycle of birth, decay and death.

Where mental development is knowledge-oriented, the latent cognitive faculty of the sádhaka will unfold. Thus, sádhaná is the expansion of one’s self, the gradual assimilation and subjectivisation of the universe. Sádhaná is not the path of self contraction; it is the path of self-expansion. Some so-called philosophies want to dismiss the world as illusory, but are in fact telling lies, consciously and unconsciously. These blood-sucking parasites knowingly indulge in lies of this sort under the inspiration of the political, economic and other social exploiters, out of greed for their financial gains. These parasites are fully aware of the fact that as long as people remain confused due to the unhealthy effect of defective philosophies, the actional faculty will remain unexpressed, and they can easily be utilized as tools.

Remember, the path of sádhaná is not the path of escapism, but the path of the brave… the path of vigour. O sádhakas, advance undaunted, courageously fighting against Avidyá (the force of negativity). Make your spiritual life fruitful with the warmth of your heart, the strength of your muscles, the vigorous activity of your nerves, and the rapid flow of blood in your veins. Yours is not the path of retreat, nor the path of unholy compromise as wretched slaves to the rapacious businessman or as pawns in the hands of power-hungry politicians. Yours is the path of ceaseless advancement towards union with the all-benevolent Supreme Entity by connecting the flow of action and devotion with the flow of knowledge. Never surrender meekly like a slave allowing your inherent power and vigour to be sapped. Remember, the fullest manifestation of your vigour is immortality.

Those who dismiss the world as illusory, do injustice to their individual prowess, and become very cynical. This negative approach leads the human society astray, partially or fully. Seeing how deeply you love your children a máyávádin (a proponent of the doctrine of illusion) will say, “Be careful, you are about to fall in the snare of attachment. Remember this relative world is just an illusory prison”. To such a negative statement a genuine Ánanda Margii will say with robust optimism: “Of course I will love my children with all my heart, and through sádhaná, expand this love to its greatest or unlimited extent. Let this love which was confined to one child be extended to all children. By taking the hearts of all parents within one’s own heart one realizes that every child is worthy of this love.” This sort of awareness is possible only through real knowledge – the knowledge of truth. Those who deny the importance of knowledge in sádhaná want to throw humanity into the abysmal darkness of staticity.

But is the theoretical knowledge enough? Is it sufficient to know, only in theory, or through logic, that all children of all parents are equal? No, through theoretical knowledge one can only understand what one should or should not do in sádhaná and nothing more. To turn this academic love into universal love one must colour the molecules and atoms of this dusty earth with one’s love. This is not possible for an ordinary follower of the cult of knowledge. Such people can be very pedantic, but unless certain effective ways are adopted to become one with the Supreme Entity, this knowledge will become barren. Sádhakas know that to become one with Him they will have to remain absorbed in constant ideation on Him, and then only will He appear in their hearts in His most attractive form.

Sa visvakrd vishvaviditmayonih kálakáro guńii sarvavid yah.
Pradhánakśetrajiṋaptirguńeshah saḿsára mokśasthitibandhahetuh.

He is the Father of this universe: everything has been created out of His imagination. When the followers of the cult of knowledge realize that this universe is the combination of the infinite emanations of the vast Cosmic Citta, they stand awestruck by the greatness of that Entity. Through the process of thought it is impossible to measure His immensity. The depth of His depths cannot be fathomed. Ordinary microcosms can best be compared to tiny bubbles in the endless Cosmic Ocean.

The rśi observes that all the thoughts and activities of the microcosm lie within the scope of the limitless intuition of the Macrocosm. That is why the Macrocosm knows everything inside and outside the microcosmic mind. Nothing can be done secretly. If a sinner pretends to be virtuous by wearing bead-necklaces or holy marks on the forehead simple people may be fooled, but Parama Puruśa knows the truth. He knows more about the sinner than He knows about himself.

He knows everything that you know, and everything you do not know. Obviously there is no other way than total surrender to Him. When the followers of the cult of knowledge realizes this truth they surrender to Him without reservation. Those who do not do that either lack knowledge or suffer from a false sense of prestige, a type of psychic ailment.

Wise people understand the simple truth that all human endeavour is dependent on relative factors. Intellect, name, fame and wealth are all dependent on the relative factor of time. They exist during one period of time and disappear later. But Parama Puruśa, the Father of the universe, does not have to wait for any period of time to do His work. Time comes into existence when the microcosms are created from the eternal Ocean of Cognition by the binding influence of Prakrti. Hence, He is the Father of time.⁽¹⁾ Being beyond the bondage of time, He is established as absolute truth and intellect, wisdom, and everything else which can or cannot be thought of by the unit mind, remains unassailed by the time factor; He is eternal.

There are some ignorant people who wrongly believe that God physically resembles an ordinary human being who gets angry, wants to be worshipped, and enjoys being propitiated with food and other offerings. They claim He has various likes and dislikes; that He wants to be invoked at certain times, and immersed at other times. But genuine sádhakas, by virtue of knowledge, realize that their dear Lord is not affected by religious paraphernalia and pretentious shows of devotion.

Followers of the cult of knowledge understand that only Parama Brahma deserves the epithet guńii. How can a finite being be called a guńii? A guńii is one who possesses a binding rope. A finite being does not hold the binding rope but is bound by it, and thus is called guńadhiina (bound by guńas). Every microcosm is under the bondages of these binding principles.

A realized person intuitively knows that only the Supreme Entity is all-knowing (Sarvavid). Only that Supreme Entity has the requisite psychic expansion to know all that is thinkable and unthinkable. He is Pradhána (the greatest). The word Pradhána also means Prakrti, but in the above shloka it is not used in that sense. It would not be correct to call any other entity of this mundane world Pradhána because all entities are assailed by some imperfection. Though apparently head of the school, the headmaster is answerable to the school board of directors. The Secretary General of the United Nations, or the Commander-in-Chief of an army are answerable to the representatives of the people. No one in the mundane world has absolute authority. All fathers have their fathers. But there is no one above Parama Puruśa. Only He has the absolute authority.

He knows the movements of all created beings, the ways of every microcosm. He sees the vain attempts of humans to look honest while concealing their mental meanness, to deceive others by delivering eloquent speeches, and to pretend to be apostles of peace while secretly manufacturing lethal weapons. He sees this and laughs in His vast mind. The foolish, the conceited, the learned fools, and the money-crazed humans deny His authority to escape the consequences of their gross misdeeds, or to console their own minds. But for Him this is all immaterial, because His existence does not depend on the recognition or authority of others. He knows that He exists as the Lord of all, as the Controller of all. All the three principles – sentient, mutative, and static – are under Him. With all these guńas, He is dancing merrily, vibrating rhythmically. With the help of these three principles He is creating the universe, keeping it under His hypnotic spell, and arousing the existential awareness in created beings.

By imparting the practical lessons of sádhańa; by disseminating the science of Brahma, He is removing the bondages of the guńas and paving the way for the salvation of the wise people. Those who are bound by the sentient principle think that they exist; those who are bound by the mutative principle think that they are doing (they think they are billionaires, or learned, or intelligent.); and those who are bound by the static principle degenerate to the level of crude matter. When microcosms acquire a fair degree of mental development through the pursuit of knowledge, they realize these truths.

Sa tanmayo hyamrta iishasaḿstho jiṋáh sarvago bhuvanasyáya goptá
Ya iishe asya jagato nityameva nányo heturvidyate iishanáya.

Does the omni-telepathic Entity, whose immanent power is the cause of this world of salvation, preservation, and bondage, undergo any metamorphosis? No, He remains absorbed in His original stance (Tanmaya). To others it appears as if He is performing magic tricks, but for Him the magic show is no miracle, it is the display of His artful techniques. He watches the magic show, but He watches only to be sure of His showmanship.

He is Amrta (immortal) because He is not bound by the waves of the principles of Prakrti. He is Puruśottama, the Controller of all controllers, the shelter of all beings. Nothing can be done secretly, for He is connected to all in His individual and collective associations. He permeates each pore of the universal body with the authority of universal witness-ship. He is Sarvaga. He maintains everything.

Wise people realize these truths in the pursuit of real knowledge. However much an ignorant person may try, he or she can never understand His greatness by mere philosophical argumentation.

Yo Brahmáńaḿ Vidhadháti púrvaḿ yo vae Vedaḿshca prahińoti tasmae
Taḿha devátmabuddhiprakáshaḿ mumukśurvae sharańamahaḿ prapadye.

Before He started this Creation, He had to assume the role of Brahmá. Brahmá is the stage of manifestation of Brahma where Prakrti is predominant over Puruśa. The flow of creation, preservation and destruction is continuing with the three acoustic sounds “a”, “u”, “ma”. Brahmá is the stance centred around the acoustic sound “a” (Brahma+a = Brahmá). The rśi says that this Brahmábháva is accepted as the apparent cause of this creation. Brahmá bháva is also one of His numerous ideational expressions.

Who is the propounder of intuitional science? Is he a particular sage (rśi) or intellectual? No, Brahma is the Propounder who expresses His ideas through the vocal cords of different sages. No individual human being deserves the credit for human excellence. It is due to His grace alone that the intuitional science was revealed.

The closer one’s psychic propensities move towards Him during sádhaná, the more one’s intuition increases, and the more one’s apexed intellect (agryabuddhi) unfolds. The person who realizes the greatness of the Macrocosm by virtue of intuitional knowledge says, “ My only desire is to merge myself in Him, to attain salvation.” To seek Him is not to seek for any mundane object of pleasure. No petty greed, no enemy (ripu) exists in Him. To seek salvation means to surrender totally unto Him. The act of seeking Him is free from the least taint of selfishness (niśkalus’). Hence the rśi Shvetáshvatara says that every individual should seek salvation. To attain Brahma the cultivation of knowledge alone will not suffice; one will also have to perform actions. By merely learning the techniques of making sweet from a confectioner one will no get any idea about how the sweets taste. When sádhakas realize that they should seek salvation, then they will have to undertake a special endeavour to attain that cherished goal; they will have to advance towards Him according to the laws of material science and psychology. That is their action (karma sádhańa). The more they proceed towards Brahma through karma sádhańa, the more the divine excellence of Brahma will manifest itself in them in the ever-new ways. That which was not possible through the pursuit of the cultivation of knowledge will be possible through karma sádhańa.

Niśkalaḿ niśkriyam shántaḿ niravadyaḿ niraiṋjanam
Amrtasya paraḿ Setuḿ dagdhendhanamivánalam

He is spotless, actionless, without distortion, calm and tranquil, unaffected by external stimuli, unblemished. He is the bridge connecting the microcosm to immortality. Through constant ideation on Him, the seeds of one’s accumulated saḿskáras become burnt.

Yadá carmavadákáshaḿ veśt́ayiśyanti mánaváh
Tadá devamijiṋáya duhkhasyánto bhaviśyati

Human misery originates from one’s imperfect thoughts. By ideating on the Great one can be relieved of misery forever. Those who believe that the pursuit of crude matter is the path leading to the cessation of misery, and thus remain oblivious of Him, are entirely mistaken. Just as the sky cannot be wrapped around one’s body, similarly without Him the cessation of misery is impossible.

Tapoprabháváddevaprasádácca brahma ha shvetáshvetaro’tha vidván
Atyáshrambhiyah paramaḿ pavitraḿ prováca samyag rśisauńghajuśt́am.

After proper karma sádhaná Shvetáshvatara realized Brahma. Here proper karma sádhaná means the strict observance of yama and niyama. The meaning of tapah is to bring comfort to others even by enduring hardship. The duty of the ácáryas and táttvikas is to propagate noble ideas and promote the welfare of others even by embracing hardship themselves, individually or collectively. Their duty comes within the scope of tapah. Some consider dharma to be the propagation of the greatness of a propounder of a particular doctrine or scripture. This is a totally misconceived idea. Dharma is the cultivation of benevolent intellect for the all-round welfare of all the created beings in the universe. Lord Buddha said,

Bahujana hitáya bahujana sukháya
Lokánukampáya attháya hitáya sukháya.
Deva manussánaḿ ádi kalyáńaḿ majjhe kalyáńaḿ
Pariosan kalyáńaḿ satthaḿ sabyainajanaḿ
Kevalam paripunnaḿ parisudhvaḿ
Brahmacariyaḿ pakasetha.

Is the realization of Brahma possible through human endeavour alone? Human beings are unable to transcend knowledge, action and devotion, and thus Parama Puruśa showers His grace upon them. The result is a divine union of Parama Puruśa and His devotees.

Rśi Svetashvatara taught the science of Brahma (Brahmavidyá) for the welfare of people. Those who keep themselves shackled with various restrictions and impositions can never understand the proper spirit of Brahmavidyá. Even if they learn the initial lessons of Brahma sádhaná, they soon give up because it requires immense strength of mind. The one with a timid mind who mechanically follows the rest will not advance far.

In the propagation of dharma the spirit of welfare is the beginning, the middle and the end. What is He? He is welfare personified. So the ancient people used the term Kalyáńasundaram to describe Him. In Him there is total perfection. The rśi says, “To attain Him, devotion must be complemented by knowledge and action”. You may have made sweets according to the techniques taught to you, but unless you taste them you will never know how good they are. This act of tasting is devotion. Devotion arises from love of the Lord. Sá kasmae parama premarupá.

There are two broad categories of love or devotion: prema and parábhakti. Prema (love for the Supreme) occurs when there is a strong attraction for the Supreme Entity. (as opposed to Káma which is love for relative objects). Even though the I-feeling greatly expands as one strives to seek shelter in Parama Puruśa, the existential I-feeling does not altogether disappear. So through prema one can attain liberation (mukti). But to attain salvation (mokśa), Parábhakti, exclusive devotion to Parama Puruśa is required. Parábhakti liberates spiritual aspirants from the bondage of I-feeling permanently. One should bear in mind that Parábhakti is not a state of inaction; rather a tremendous vital faculty lies behind Parábhakti.

Yasya deve parábhaktiryathá deve tathá gurao
Tasyaete kathitá hyartháh prakáshante mahátmnah.

However much people might pursue the cult of knowledge and action, the science of Brahma should be taught only to those who possess Parábhakti. This Parábhakti should be directed towards both Brahma and the Guru. One should remember that there is only one Guru. The actual Guru is not the physical body of a Guru but the Entity who works through the physical body. Hence, Paramátmá alone is the Guru. Through Parábhakti, one can easily transcend one’s I-feeling and attain the non-attributional stance. Those who possess parábhakti or kevalá bhakti are free from mahimá jiṋána (the notion that God is too perfect to be attained by a mere mortal). Hence, the attainment of emancipation is possible only through parábhakti. Spiritual aspirants with developed parábhakti can proclaim that the universe is all Brahma; Brahma alone is the Supreme desideratum of all microcosms. Only they can say;

Brahmárpańaḿ Brahmahavirbrahmágnao Brahmańáhútam
Brahmaeva tena gantavyaḿ Brahmakarmasamádhiná.

Footnotes

(1) Parama Puruśa is [[alternatively]] described by some as the death of time, but I have some objection to this interpretation because, if that were so then philosophically He could not be said to be above the time factor.

Chapter 5	Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 7 [a compilation]

Viveka (conscience) is a special kind of deliberation. Deliberation (vicára) is the endeavour to select a particular idea from several ideas. If a particular person is presented to you as a criminal, then there are two opposing ideas before you: the guilt of the man or his innocence. The process whereby one comes to a conclusion after deliberating upon these two opposing ideas is called vicára. When you finally make your decision it is called siddhánta (conclusion).

Conscience (viveka) is defined as a special type of vicára (deliberation). The denotation of vicára is broader than that of viveka. A thief, on entering his victim’s house, considers whether it would be better to start stealing in the dining room or the sitting room. This is a kind of deliberation after which the thief reaches his conclusion. This deliberation is vicára and not viveka.

Viveka is that kind of deliberation where there is a conscious endeavour to decide in favour of shreya (benevolence) when confronted with the two opposing ideas of shreya and preya (malevolence). Viveka is of five types, and their collective name is viveka paiṋcaka.

The first type is nityánitya viveka (discrimination between permanent and impermanent). Whenever an intelligent person ponders over something, he or she discerns its two aspects – the permanent and the impermanent. The attempt to accept the permanent aspect after due deliberation is called nityánitya viveka. The permanent is not dependent on the relative factors of time, space and person, whereas the impermanent is the collectivity of the relative factors. The best way to recognize the impermanent is that if one of the three relative factors is changed it will undergo an immediate transformation. Nityánitya viveka enables human beings to realize the necessity of observing dharma. It helps them to understand the fundamental differences between dharma and religion, or doctrine. Religion is something entirely relative whereas dharma is a permanent truth.

The first characteristic of religion is that it gives excessive importance to a single individual. Different regions claim that such-and-such great personality (mahápuruśa) is a son of God, a prophet, or even God himself. However wise these great persons might be, they are nevertheless mortal. Some also claim that the propounders of other religions could not come as close to God as their own propounder did. These words are not only irrational, but contain a concealed attempt to make the impermanent permanent. Dharma is an eternal truth credible and does not depend on any individual, prophet or avatára (direct descent of God) for its substantiation. The goal of dharma is the attainment of Brahma; its base and its movement are Brahma-centered. Brahma is the Absolute Entity independent of time, space and person; He is permanent. Brahma sádhaná, therefore, is the sádhaná for the attainment of the permanent entity.

Through nityánitya viveka, human beings become aware of the fleeting nature of transient objects. They observe that with change in time, place and person, corresponding changes occur in social, political, economic, and all other spheres of life take to which they have to adapt themselves. Those who are reluctant to adapt themselves to the changed circumstances are doomed to destruction. A religion or an “ism” is created in a certain age which itself is a product of the three factors of time, place and person. However, the religion does not recognize the necessity of adjustment with the change in social life. It refuses to realize that the old rules and regulations of the previous age are now only mere historical records, having lost their relevance in the present dynamic society.

To stifle the progress of humanity, the followers of these religions play on human sentiments and other weaknesses. They want to perpetuate the hold of the vested interests by infusing an inferiority complex into the human mind. While preaching their religious ideas, some claim that the social, economic and political systems were direct creations of God and hence destined to be observed in all ages and all times with equal veneration. They pronounce that those who refuse to follow this divine decree will be doomed to burn in the scorching heat of God’s wrath, or dammed to suffer eternal hell-fire. To deny people the scope of verifying the rationality of different scriptures they declare that such-and-such scriptures are infallible and so nobody has the right to question their veracity. If the philosophical texts contradict the scriptures, then their propounders will be declared as atheists.

So it is seen that in the absence of nityánitya viveka the propounders of religion want to thwart the intellectual progress of human society at large. They knowingly refuse to understand that any observation regarding the spatial, temporal and personal factors, from whatever person it might come, is bound to lose its relevance in a transformed situation.

Through nityánitya viveka try to understand what is permanent and what is impermanent. You will certainly realize that no scripture is a revelation of God; that everything in this world created by time, space and individuality is transient phenomenon. For the transient body and the transient mind one cannot deny the necessity of transient mundane objects. Though these things are necessary, they are still transient.

In the introversive phase of the cosmic imagination, intellectual progress of human beings is bound to take place and consequently their control over matter will gradually increase. In the process of further intellectual development, the old ideas and values of the undeveloped life will become outdated. You must have noticed that people with old, outdated ideas very often lament that the present younger generation has no spiritual inclination whatsoever. “Everything is lost,” they lament. Perhaps they do not understand, or maybe knowingly refuse to believe that scientific knowledge is increasing, dramatically. Modern youth is becoming acquainted with newer inventions and discoveries. They are learning about many new things and accepting them from the core of their hearts. As a result, the intellectual backwardness of the past seems to be totally absurd to them. The more scientific knowledge they acquire (in the Pratisaiṋcara movement of the Cosmic cycle they will certainly advance) the more they will try to liberate themselves from the noose of religion and “isms”, and the further they will advance along the path of dharma directly, scientifically and supported by rational judgment. Are the proponents of isms not aware of this fact? They are well aware and that is why they deliberately criticize material science at every opportunity. But this sort of criticism does not impress intellectual people.

It is not enough to equate the so-called religious scriptures with transient philosophy. Rather, these scriptures are [even inferior to the] material science. Although the material sciences are still imperfect from the ideological and practical point of view, they do not stifle the scientific progress of humanity; though they do stifle subtle intellectual and spiritual progress. But the conniving religious theologies seek to shackle peoples’ feet, making them as static as static as birds sitting on a perch in a cage. Too often they are satisfied with the amount of scientific progress they inherit and do not care for further development. To them molasses is sacred whereas sugar made at the mill is unholy because it is a product of science. To them bullock carts and rowing boats are sacred whereas trains and steamers are unholy because they, too, are the products of science. And yet, if these proponents of religion think a little deeper, they will realize that both molasses and sugar are products of science. The age of molasses was an age of undeveloped science. Sugar was a product of a comparatively developed age.

We cannot advise today’s human beings to go back to the age of candles and oil lamps neglecting the electric light. But some religions impart such teachings. Human beings will have to understand the proper spirit of nityánitya viveka and adjust themselves with the prevailing age. They will have to accept without reservation the situation of the particular age they are born into. It would not do to waste one’s time in unnecessarily gloating over the past.

Nityánitya viveka is an inseparable part of the practice of dharma. Dharma lays down clear guidelines for moving ahead in perfect adjustment with the prevalent situation. Dharma is the throbbing vital faculty of living beings. In dharma there is no scope for the accumulated inertness of staticity.

Brahma alone is an Eternal Entity, and the sádhaná of Brahma is the real practice of dharma. The ritualistic observances centred around the spatial and temporal factors cannot help in attaining the Eternal Entity, Parama Brahma. The sustained effort for psychic purification is the only means to become one with Him. People who observe ostentatious rituals after indulging in various antisocial activities may be seen as righteous people from the religious point of view, but if they are tested in the touchstone of dharma their sinful nature will be revealed.

As religions are dependent upon various changing factors, they differ widely from one another. They criticize and mock each other, exaggerating the other’s defects and refusing to acknowledge the other’s positive qualities. As they have no Eternal Entity as their goal, they are influenced more by allegiance to their own sect than by any love for humanity. But real dharma teaches that all living beings of the universe belong to one family; all are bound by the common touch of fraternity. The entire universe is everyone’s homeland, and all the animate and inanimate entities are the various expressions of one and the same Supreme being.

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Hararme Pitá Gaorii Mátá svadesha bhuvanatrayam.

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[Parama Puruśa is my Father, Parama Prakrti is my Mother, and the entire universe is my home.]

But strangely enough, many religions teach the opposite. They proclaim the exclusive greatness of a particular country, race, mountain or river. But in dharma there is no scope for intolerance, for Dharma is based on the solid foundation of vigour derived from universal love. The goal of religion is a non-integral entity and as such there remains a narrow outlook. The goal of dharma, however, is infinite Brahma. So the pursuit of dharma increasingly expands one’s vision. Sometimes a kind of alliance is noticed between religions but that is entirely an external alliance. The talk of synthesis of religions is totally absurd; it is merely an apparent show of honesty and grandiloquence to hoodwink the common people. Dharma is always singular in number, and never plural. So there is no question of religious synthesis in dharma. Religion is always plural in number – never singular. The synthesis of religions means their annihilation. Where impermanent entities are worshipped as the goal through various ritualistic paraphernalia, there is no scope for synthesis.

Religion is practiced for the fulfilment of mundane aspirations. This is the reason why a class of clergymen emerged centring around the religion. Ultimately the adherents of these religions become mere tools in the hands of vested interests. With the awakening of nityánitya viveka in human minds and the opening of the door of scientific knowledge, it will not be possible to deceive the people in the name of religion or by holding out the lure of happiness in the next world. The vested interests are quite aware of this fact and hence strive to keep the masses lost in the darkness of ignorance. Like parasites, they manoeuvre themselves to misappropriate, by injecting fear and inferiority complexes, a lion’s share of what the ignorant masses earn with their sweat and blood.

Religious exploiters maintain an unholy alliance with the capitalistic exploiters. With hands upraised, a religious preceptor blesses the wealthy merchants for their future prosperity but refuses to see the faces of his poor disciples who fail to provide handsome prańámii (a fee for the priest’s blessing). You will notice that in many religions mythological stories and fables are given more importance than science and rational ideas because they contain ample scope for exploitation of human weaknesses.

But in scientific and rational analyses, there is no scope for exploitation. If you consider yourself a Bráhmin by caste, then you will have to admit indirectly that the Bráhmins had their origin from the mouth of a god named Brahma. But will your scientific intellect agree to this sort of irrational interpretation? Likewise, if you consider your self as a warrior (kśatriya) or a merchant (vaeshya) or a labourer (shúdra), then you will have to accept that you were born of Brahma’s hands, thighs or legs. Anthropology, archaeology and human history can not accept these absurd notions. But the adherents of so many religions have to conform, more or less, to some mythological stories, which are totally contrary to science. By developing nityánitya viveka you will be able to clean your mind of the garbage caused by such superstitions with little effort. Nityánitya viveka teaches that the entities which are dependent on time, place and person are all transient. The only entity beyond the scope of time, place and person, is Paramátma, so He is the Eternal one, Nityaḿ Vastrekaḿ Brahma.

The second type of viveka paiṋcaka is dvaetádvaeta viveka. Through dvaetádvaeta viveka one gains the capacity to analyse whether the eternal entity is one or more than one and come to a conclusion accordingly (dvaeta means dualistic and advaeta means non-dualistic). There cannot remain any svagata, svajátiiya and vijátiiya differentiation in the entity which is beyond time, space and person. So it is not possible for the Eternal Entity to be more than one. Various beliefs about the so-called gods – that one god defeated another in battle, but was later harmed enormously by his adversary’s wrathful vengeance; that a certain god spreads or cures a certain disease; and that another god distributes wealth or learning – are contrary to Dvaetádvaeta Viveka.

In spiritual practice nityánitya viveka is not enough, Dvaetádvaeta viveka is also necessary. For success in spiritual practice both nityánitya viveka and dvaetádvaeta viveka are indispensable. They enable people to realize that all the objects bound by time, space and individuality are transient while the Entity beyond the periphery of time, space and individuality is permanent; It is one without a second.

The third type of conscience is átmánátma viveka (literally self-non-self conscience). The role of this type of conscience is to analyse whether the Permanent, Non-dualistic Entity is Consciousness (Átmabháva) or non-consciousness (anátmabháva).

Everything in this universe is a metamorphosed form of Consciousness. This metamorphosis takes place due to the influence of static principle. The creation of the world of forms by the static principle continues as a result of the changes in the flow of endless waves. Forms are the expressions of the formless due to the influence of the static Prakrti. So Consciousness, in the process of crudification, is turned into solid matter and takes the form of a perceptible object, relinquishing its original quality of witness-ship. That is, Consciousness (Átmabháva) becomes metamorphosed into non-consciousness (anátmabháva). From mind to solid matter there is the domination of non-consciousness and hence the existence of the three factors: knower, knowledge, and knowable. When spiritual aspirants apply átmánátma viveka they can easily discern these three factors and come to the realization that all the three are changeable and perceptible and hence non-consciousness by nature. And the entity which is above these three factors, which is One without a second, which is the Witnessing Entity, is nothing but Consciousness.

In the mundane world people run after money. What is the nature of this money? Money is important to buy crude physical objects. It is not a conscious entity; it is non-consciousness. Its necessity is felt by the unit mind. Money is knowable and enjoyable, and the pleasure derived from money is enjoyment. But, being non-consciousness, it cannot be the cause of unlimited happiness. Yet people will do almost anything to attain money: bribery, murder, adulteration, black marketing, hypocrisy and so on. Such people are the worshipers of non-consciousness, investing all their vital energy in the pursuit of matter.

Apply átmánátman viveka in all action and all thoughts. Atmánátma viveka has a greater importance in the field of action than dvaetádvaeta viveka. If you utilize it as an indispensable part of your daily life, the true form of the universe will appear before you. Of course, this will never happen if one harbours sinful thoughts while pretending to be righteous. Átmánátman viveka will teach you that the Singular Eternal Entity in the form of Consciousness should be your only object of ideation. You will see the colours of religion fade before your eyes as the pure white effulgence of dharma shines with ever-increasing brilliance.

All the “isms” prevalent in today’s world can easily be included in the category of religions. All the defects of religions exist in the “isms” too. None of the political, social or economic “isms” are free from superstition none are straightforward; all are full of rampant hypocrisy. In all “isms”, doctrines and religions, the scriptural authority is supreme. There is no scope for the functioning of the five types of conscience, no place for service, love or devotion. With the help of falsehood and immorality, these “isms,” doctrines and religions slander and make accusations against each other. They make attractive promises to the people while hiding their own internal sins. In fact, false piety is not the path of dharma, leading to welfare, but the opposite of dharma, the negation of welfare. They can be likened to asses wearing lion skins: take away the lion skins and their their true form will be revealed. They have no other purpose than to grab votes and usurp power. The mentality to grab the votes first and then serve the people is not the true spirit of selfless social service; rather, it is the mentality of power craving materialists.

You will have to advance with the true spirit of genuine social service, because the very characteristic of dharma is to promote the cause of welfare. Dharma and welfare are inseparable. Religion and intolerance have created enormous harm in the world, have caused torrents of blood to stain the rivers red. In the present twentieth century, religions have assumed the form of “isms”.

The people of medieval times fought among the clans and communities, and the people of today are fighting over their “isms”. Just as religions did in the past, the “isms” are criticizing each other today, betraying their spirit of intolerance as they try to gag each other’s voices. It seems that they have no other goal than carping, criticizing, and slandering each other. They are befooling the ignorant masses by painting rosy pictures of service, peace and happiness. On the other hand they themselves are going far away from the path of selfless service and welfare. To emancipate the masses from the unhealthy influence of “isms” there is no other way than universalism. Only universalism is free from the defects of any narrowisms because every thing of this entire universe comes within its vast periphery.

It is only with the help of átmánátma viveka that the human beings can emerge from the mire of the present century and move towards universalism with firm steps. By virtue of átmánátma viveka people can realize that Brahma is the Eternal Singular Entity, pure Consciousness.

The fourth type of conscience is paiṋcakośa viveka (the conscience of paiṋcakośas or five layers of existence). People sometimes mistake the different layers of their existence to be unit consciousness. With the help of paiṋcakośa viveka people can easily discern that the annamaya kośa (physical body), kamamaya kośa (crude mind) manomaya kośa (subtle mind), atimanas, vijiṋánamaya, and hiranyamaya kośas(causal mind) are separate layers, and that Consciousness is above all five kośas. Spiritual sádhaná means ideation on one’s own consciousness beyond these kośas and not ideation on any of the kośas themselves. Through knowledge one must analyse and stop worshipping these kośas. Movement towards consciousness is the real spirit of sádhaná. It is not possible to follow the spiritual cult without properly cultivating paiṋcakośa viveka.

Take for example the case of a major problem in society – the problem of food and clothes. Food and clothes are essential for the preservation of human existence, but they are not the goal of life. They are necessary for the physical body (annamaya kośa), and to some extent for other kośas too, but they are not everything. With them it is not possible to achieve complete mundane fulfilment. To attain supreme benevolence the microcosmic entity consisting of the five kośas is a necessity, and for that there is the need of food and clothes. But the struggle for procuring food and clothes is only a crude stage of sádhaná not the final and absolute one. Those whose entire sádhaná is employed only for procuring food and clothes can hardly be called human beings; they are better described as undeveloped animals.

Mahávákya viveka, the fifth stage of conscience, is the resultant of the other four. The first four types of conscience help a sadhaka to realize that the Eternal Entity, Brahma, is One without a second, Consciousness personified, and the knower of the five kośas. Mahávákya viveka teaches human beings that He is not attainable through mere knowledge. To liberate the consciousness from these five kośas, action and devotion are indispensable. Those who think that He is attainable through the cult of knowledge alone are mistaken. By cultivating the first four types of conscience a person of knowledge may become established in mahávákya viveka. At that stage he or she realizes that the mere pursuit of knowledge cannot bring paramártha (the means of attaining the supreme goal). He or she then understands that the knowledge already acquired is not true knowledge because it leads to vanity.

If ignorant people want to acquire more knowledge they should be encouraged to do so. But if so-called intellectuals (jiṋániis), puffed up with the vanity of knowledge, want to attain more knowledge they should be told to perfect the cult of action and devotion first, thereby smashing their vanity. So let the jiṋánii tell the masses that Brahma is attainable only through self surrender, proper questioning and selfless service.

Pránipátena, pariprashnena, sevayá. Keep serving the people, and as you render service ascribe Brahmahood to those you are serving. Try to make them happy with all the sweetness of your heart. Help others with the true spirit of service, not with the intention of propagating your self or group interests or any “ism” you may adhere to. Think that the Supreme Entity has come to you in the form of needy people to test your sense of duty. This sort of selfless service is karma yoga. Your only motivation for service should be to promote the welfare of suffering people. Those who serve the poor in order to convert them in some way, or those political opportunists who serve them to get their votes with a view to becoming ministers, are not the true benefactors of human society, but the devious traders.

Along with service, spiritual aspirants should also cultivate pariprashnena (proper questioning). When a spiritual aspirant follows the path of the spirituality, so many questions, doubts, and confusions arise in the mind. Pariprashnena is asking questions to the right people who will provide appropriate answers to help one solve any problem one may encounter on the spiritual path. This permits one to advance more rapidly towards the spiritual goal. Through the cultivation of the five stages of conscience all questions are easily answered. One who does not follow the spiritual path, or one who does not develop the five-fold conscience, remains constantly preoccupied with the material objects of enjoyment.

Together with selfless service and proper questioning, prańipátena, or complete surrender, is also essential. Cultivate knowledge and render service unto others to the best of your capacity, but do not think that this will suffice; for your small-I still exists. You must surrender your small I to the Cosmic I: this is the spirit of pranipátena. That is why it is said that the five types of conscience attain their consummation through jiṋána yoga, karma yoga and bhakta yoga.

So, the five types of conscience begin with nityánitya viveka and terminate in devotion. The sphere of knowledge is vast, yet it is as arid as a desert: the sphere of action starts from a point of timelessness, yet it cannot transcend the barriers of time. Devotion brings abundance, enrichment, effulgence and dynamism. Devotion is the most valuable treasure of human life because it supplies endless vitality.

Bhaktirbhagavato sevá bhaktih premasvarúpińiih,
Bhaktirándarúpá ca bhaktih bhaktasya jiivanam.